Legal & Governance
Corporate structure, regulatory framework, intellectual property portfolio, and governance posture. Built for institutional scrutiny from day one.
Entity Architecture
Mere Inc. is a Delaware C-Corporation, the standard entity for venture-backed startups. The corporate structure supports clean cap tables, institutional investment, and global manufacturing partnerships.
Mere Inc.
C-CorporationDelaware, USA
Parent entity. Holds all IP, customer relationships, and investor equity. Standard Delaware C-Corp structured for venture financing.
Okchundang Co., Ltd.
Strategic Partner / Equity InvestorSouth Korea
Exclusive global manufacturing partner. Equity investor in Mere. Operates four hGMP production lines with 50,000 unit/month capacity.
VUIM (Virginia University of Integrative Medicine)
Institutional PartnerVirginia, USA
Academic and clinical partner. Provides practitioner network access (1,000+ alumni), clinical validation infrastructure, and research credibility.
Regulatory Posture
Each Mere product operates under a distinct regulatory classification. Compliance is architected into the product, not bolted on after launch.
NanoActives (Supplements)
Dietary Supplement under DSHEA
Structure/function claims only. No claims to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. hGMP manufacturing with lot-level COA traceability.
Mere Pulse (Ring)
General Wellness Device
Non-diagnostic wellness device. FCC and CE prescan in progress. No 510(k) required under current classification. Trend indices only, no clinical diagnoses.
NORA AI (Software)
Decision Support Tool
Produces organ-function trend indices, not diagnoses. Practitioner-in-the-loop architecture. Does not meet FDA definition of Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) under current guidance.
International (Korea)
Korean hGMP Standards
Okchundang operates under Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) regulations. Import/export compliance managed through established US-Korea trade channels.
IP Portfolio
One granted patent, one pending application, protected trade secrets, and filed trademarks. The IP portfolio reflects 15 years of R&D at Okchundang, now exclusively licensed to Mere.
Korean Patent KR 10-1771125
Cyclodextrin capture process for volatile aromatic compounds in herbal formulations. Covers the core NanoActives micro-bead technology that preserves bioactive compounds destroyed by conventional high-heat extraction.
US Patent Application (Pending)
Composition of matter patent for NanoActives formulation. Extends Korean patent protection to the US market. Filed with priority claim to Korean patent date.
Trade Secrets
Manufacturing know-how, clinical protocols, formulation data, and NORA AI training datasets. Protected through NDA framework, access controls, and employment agreements.
Trademarks
Mere, NanoActives, Mere Pulse, and NORA AI marks filed in the US. Provides brand protection across all product lines and the AI assistant.
Board & Governance
Clear decision authority, structured reporting, and investor access. Governance is designed for the current stage while accommodating institutional requirements at seed.
Board Composition
Three-person board: Byung Kim (CEO), Will Yeung (CTO), and one independent seat reserved for lead seed investor. Pre-seed investors may attend board meetings as observers, subject to board approval.
Decision Authority
Board approval required for fundraising, M&A, executive compensation changes, annual budget, and material contracts over $50K. Day-to-day operations and hiring decisions rest with management.
Investor Reporting
Monthly financial statements, quarterly narrative updates, annual audit. KPI dashboard with real-time subscriber, revenue, and churn data. All SAFE holders receive identical information.
Meeting Cadence
Quarterly board meetings with formal minutes. Monthly management reviews. Annual strategic planning session. Extraordinary meetings called as needed for material events.
Ongoing Quality Assurance
Compliance is not a one-time checklist. It is an ongoing process built into every stage of the product lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to shipped product.
Herb-Drug Interaction Checks
Automated screening against 4,200+ known herb-drug interactions before every protocol is dispensed. Edge cases flagged for clinician review. Database updated quarterly from peer-reviewed literature.
Certificate of Analysis (COA)
Independent third-party COA for every manufacturing lot. Tests for potency, purity, heavy metals, microbial contamination, and pesticide residues. COA documents stored and accessible for audit.
hGMP Audit Schedule
Annual internal audit of Okchundang manufacturing facilities. Biennial external audit by independent quality assessors. Documentation maintained for regulatory inspection readiness.
Clinician Review Protocol
NORA AI flags cases with clinical ambiguity or potential contraindications for human clinician review. No protocol ships without either AI clearance or explicit clinician approval.