This article was published on June 12, 2025, at 5:33 p.m. on the ChosunBiz MoneyMove site.
Mobile carrier KT is reportedly considering acquiring t'order, the leading company in the domestic table-based self-order kiosk market. T'order, established in 2019, operates a table order service that allows customers to place orders and make payments using tablets at restaurants.
According to the investment banking (IB) sector on the 12th, t'order has been in contact with potential buyers for the past three months. While the specific equity to be sold has not been determined, the equity held by Kwon Seong-taek, founder and CEO of t'order, was 59.7% as of the end of last year. (Related article☞[Exclusive] 'Self-order kiosk market leader' t'order pushes for management rights sale… valuation expected to exceed 300 billion won)
T'order's high valuation is reported to be hindering the sale. The total corporate value of t'order is 300 billion won. This value was recognized when it secured Series B investments from LB Investment, No & Partners, and Eugene Securities in May last year.
An IB industry source noted, "Not only is t'order growing, but other table order services are also expanding, leading to increased competition. In particular, without a proprietary point of sale (POS) system, t'order faces threats from Toss's payment terminal and its subsidiary Tossplace, which provides POS solutions."
T'order maintains its position of seeking investment. In April, it announced that it had selected Samil PwC as its investment advisory firm. Another IB industry source explained, "Even if it is seeking investment, if the founder sells part of their equity and a large number of new shares are issued, the management rights could change."
T'order's revenue last year was 58.7 billion won, an increase of nearly 78% compared to 33 billion won the previous year. However, the operating profit last year slightly decreased from 8.9 billion won in 2023 to 8.6 billion won. The total number of tablets and payment amounts reached 260,000 units and over 10 trillion won, respectively.
A KT representative said, "We have examined various possibilities internally regarding small business projects, but there are currently no specific confirmed matters." A t'order representative stated, "We are not looking for a sale, but for investment, and the majority shareholder has no plan to sell equity."