Kylie Jenner caught the attention of the internet when she shared a video of herself eating a, new-fangled Korean “wellness jelly” earlier this year, mostly unheard of in North America—but Vancouver start-up RabLabs had already been working on a formula for months to bring to the Canadian market.
Popular in Korea, wellness jellies come in many different forms and claim to serve many purposes—spanning skincare (collagen, anyone?), weight management and, in the case of RabLabs’ flagship product, Hang O Bye, hangover and energy support.
The product—a slim stick of jelly that includes plant-based prebiotics, hovenia dulcis fruit concentrate, taurine and a vitamin B complex—aims to replenish nutrients that are depleted by alcohol use, among other claims.
“In Korea, there are already many products like this. Wellness jelly in pouch form is really popular there and in Japan,” says RabLabs co-founder Jade Jang who started the company with Dayhe Lee. While the company incorporated in 2025, Hang O Bye launched on February 28 of this year.
While the efficacy and medical claims made by companies who sell jellies have been contested by gastroenternologists, their popularity continues to surge.
The pair wanted to bring the Korean product into their circles here in B.C., as socializing, nights out with friends and, naturally, sharing cocktails were paramount to their lives—but as busy women, they realized they just couldn’t afford the next-day hangover.
“I’m a mom as well, and I still like to enjoy my life, but the next day doesn’t stop for me,” says Lee. “The responsibilities still continue, but I can’t lay in bed like I used to, recovering from a night out. When I knew there was a product like this that existed, I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, this is what we need here,’ because there are so many people like me who still have to show up the next day.”
Capitalizing on the new idea, Jang and Lee worked with manufacturers in Korea to get the formula just right.
“We worked closely with a Korean manufacturer to add more North American-style nutrition, like vitamins, and spent a year testing formulas with labs so it would both taste good and actually work,” says Jang.
Together, they researched ingredients, dosages and nutrition—all of which are included in a single stick of Juicy Green Grape Hang O Bye.
“We’re really interested in how this fits into real social moments: food, music, drinking, gathering people,” explains Jang. “Wellness isn’t a solo moment for us; it’s something you share with your loved ones. You throw it in your purse, bring it out with friends and just have fun.”
While the brand is currently hoping to plan some activations to get more eyes on the product, their current sales tactic is an online subscription model—people can order a single pack of Hang O Bye jellies (14 sticks per box) for $39 USD or a monthly subscription for $33.15.
“There’s a one-time purchase option, but we really want to focus on subscription,” says Lee. “People keep enjoying life. The nights out don’t stop out of nowhere, so having this as a regular part of a routine just makes sense.”
