You will never shop the same with Wishupon: Meet its co-founder Danbee Lee
Recently, we put the spotlight on one of our international incubation programs from the Incubation & Acceleration Center: the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED) Program. Operated through the K-Startup Center (KSC) program, initiated by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), KISED provides resources and office space in Station F, the world's biggest startup campus, to help Korean startups scale up in France and in Europe.
Interview of Danbee Lee, co-founder of the Korean startup Wishupon
To answer the question, "Why would a Korean startup want to specifically develop in France?", we interviewed Danbee Lee, holder of a Master of Science (MSc) in Business Administration and co-founder of Wishupon. After gaining extensive experience in the media and entertainment sectors at CJ Corporation, she decided to take a different career path, leading to the creation of Wishupon, a new shopping wish list app where users can save items they like, purchase them later, and share them with friends and family. Say goodbye to screenshots and hello to Wishupon! Here’s everything you need to know about Wishupon’s journey, including her participation in the KISED program.
Have you ever wanted to be an entrepreneur?
In 2012, I wanted to pursue new business ventures. I transferred to CGV, one of CJ Group's subsidiaries, and joined the Screen X team. Screen X was the world’s first immersive theater that projected movies and advertisements on three sides of the theater. I worked on this project for four years, taking the concept from idea to installation in actual theaters, creating a revenue model, and selling the technology to international cinemas, including Pathe in Paris. It was during this time that I started thinking about becoming an entrepreneur.
What is Wishupon, and what led you to create this startup?
Wishupon is a universal shopping wish list that allows users to save items they want from multiple online stores, manage them in one place, and share their lists with friends and family. It lets users collect items based on their personal tastes and preferences, consider their purchases, and buy when ready. While browsing various online stores, it’s easy to forget where you saw something if you don’t buy it right away. People often take screenshots or save links, but it’s still inconvenient. I created Wishupon to address these shopping challenges and enhance the online shopping experience.
When did you decide to expand to France, and why choose France?
In 2018, Wishupon was selected as the first Korean startup for the Founders Program at Station F. After coming to France and evaluating user reactions and feedback, we decided to expand into the French market. Compared to other countries with large e-commerce markets like the US, the UK, and Germany, French users showed promising engagement metrics. France stood out for its app usage frequency, time spent, the number of items on wishlists, and the richness of its variety of tastes. Considering France’s shopping behaviors, diverse tastes, and its leadership in global lifestyle trends, I believe expanding into France was a strategic decision.
What were the biggest challenges you encountered once in France?
One of the biggest challenges we faced was adapting our UI (User Interface) and UX (User Experience) for European users. The app was originally developed in Korean, English, and French. However, the differences in user familiarity with certain functionalities—type and amount of information presented on a single screen, number of steps in user interactions—varied between markets. Adjusting these aspects to meet European users' expectations was the key challenge.
In 2019, we were selected for the Apple Entrepreneur Camp, which allowed us to discuss these aspects with experts at Apple headquarters in California. This was instrumental in redesigning Wishupon’s UX. Later, we were also chosen as one of the Future 40 promising startups at Station F. In 2021, we had the opportunity to join the L’Oréal Open Innovation Program, where the L’Oréal team provided valuable feedback on gifting features. This experience helped us gain a deeper understanding of European user behavior related to gifting.
Has the KISED program helped overcome these challenges. If yes, how?
Last year, our team wanted to get expert advice on marketing and promotion in France. The Incubateur HEC Paris provided access to a broad pool of experts, allowing us to meet specialists suited to our needs. This assistance was invaluable in tailoring our marketing strategies to local users. It was also fundamental to the development of Wishupon in France in various aspects. It provided us with valuable resources and expert advice to address local challenges and refine our approach.
Last year, you were selected as the most promising startup by the HEC/KISED French cohort (congratulations!), what made Wishupon stand out?
We are thrilled to have been selected as the most promising startup. All the companies in the French cohort gave their best efforts. Our team’s long-standing interest and commitment to the French market likely contributed to the positive evaluation we received.
What is the main difference between the French market and the Korean market — that every Korean entrepreneur should know?
Our team is still in the process of understanding the French market. Even as Koreans, it’s challenging to have a complete grasp of the Korean market. Therefore, pinpointing the exact differences is difficult. Each business has its unique characteristics, and differences may arise in areas such as customers, business practices, regulations, and culture. However, there may also be similarities. One key insight is that experiencing the French market firsthand can differ from our initial perceptions from Korea. It’s important to conduct thorough research and testing directly in France to gain a clearer understanding.
As a co-founder of a successful startup, what is your recipe for a successful founding team?
My co-founder Jihyung Kang and I each handle different areas: Business and Software Development. We have mutual trust in each other’s expertise, which has been key to our long-term collaboration. We regularly exchange advice but fundamentally trust that each of us is giving our best.
For Wishupon, we work with many partners, including freelancers and specialized companies. We don’t handle everything in-house; instead, we collaborate with the most capable partners in each field. This approach allows us to maintain flexibility in managing the team and projects.
What is next for Wishupon?
Wishupon is planning to expand its user base not only in France but also in other European countries such as the U.K., Netherlands, and Italy, as well as in the U.S. We have users who appreciate storing their personal tastes and reflecting their lifestyle. We are looking for opportunities to collaborate with French brands in fashion, home decoration, and other sectors that share similar customer profiles.
If you had launched Wishupon in 2024, what would you have done differently, and why?
We would have introduced other services tailored to users' lifestyles. While Wishupon focuses on online shopping, we identified a need for enhancing offline shopping experiences. This led to the creation of Fidélité, which consolidates loyalty cards into a single app. Users can scan their cards offline without needing physical cards or multiple apps. Its speed, offline usability, and focus on the French and Italian markets have been major factors in user satisfaction. Fidélité also has a rating of over 4.5 in the App Store.
Last month, we launched Le Ticket and Savoir. Le Ticket is an app for storing e-tickets for museums, offering convenience and reminders for visits, enhanced by AI technology. Savoir is a To-Do List app designed to help users focus on important tasks and share them with friends and family. With its minimalist black-and-white design, it simplifies task management and includes a daily prompt with a photo to help users focus on their tasks for the day.
Our team’s new and upcoming services will continue to focus on lifestyle aspects related to personal taste and management.
From Wishupon to three other services launched in France and beyond, Dandee and Jihyung are smoothly bringing their solutions through Europe. Make sure to download them now:
 | Download Wishupon now on the App Store or Google Play. |
 | Store all your loyalty cards in one place thanks to Fidélité : App Store | Google Play |
 | Store your museum tickets on Le Ticket: App Store |
 | Your next to do list is just one download away! Download Savoir on the App Store. |
About Incubation & Acceleration Center
The Incubateur HEC Paris is a bespoke, customizable, and participatory startup support program. It leverages all the resources of the HEC Paris ecosystem to assist talented entrepreneurs. Located at the heart of Station F, the largest startup campus in the world, the program aims to enable entrepreneurs to achieve in 3 months what they would typically reach on their own in 1 year.
About the HEC Paris Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute
The institute supports entrepreneurs from all walks of life. Through our Incubation & Acceleration, Deeptech, and Social Entrepreneurship centers, we help students with innovative ideas, budding startups or unicorns on the rise, accelerating SMEs, large transforming companies, and social or environmental entrepreneurs to develop effectively and with impact. Here, the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem of HEC Paris converges to allow you to Make it Happen, Make it Big.