When we attend meetings or events, there's often a small talk topic that comes up, and that's why people are curious about why it's called "Paprika Data Lab." Today, I'd like to share the story behind this.

At first, it was just "Paprika."

When we hear about the origins of a company or a place's name, there are usually various explanations. Let me tell you a few reasons why we chose the name "Paprika."

1. Firstly, it's because paprika seeds are considered to have a value even more precious than gold, all due to their potential for bountiful harvests. Who would have thought that the common paprika seeds we see in our local stores are so valuable? We thought this was similar to how data, something we encounter easily, can possess hidden value. It aligns with our vision of a world where we readily access and cherish data.

2. Also, we liked how the consonants at the beginning and end of the name create a memorable sound.

3. While searching for a team name like "Apple," we randomly settled on the vegetable name "Paprika."

4. In the startup world, we wanted to add a bit of spice.

5. Names that include vegetables like "Broccolini" seem free-spirited and cool to us.

But how did the name get so long?

When we were registering our company name, we discovered that the name "Paprika" was already taken. That day, we held an emergency meeting, and various suggestions were thrown around, such as "Paprika's House," "Paprika Camp," "Paprika Seed," and "GoGoRoot." Eventually, we settled on "Paprika Data Lab."

We even have a video recording of that meeting. (https://youtu.be/pyRUQuAGhNg)

What is "Paprikan"?

"Paprikan" is a term we came up with, similar to how in countries ending with 'a,' when referring to a person or a style of something, you add 'n' at the end (e.g., Africa → African). We thought of "Paprika Data Lab" as if it were a unique island or country, so we added "n" to make it sound like we're calling ourselves inhabitants of that place. The Wala team refers to themselves as "Paprikans." (Although we're still a small team of only five!)

We will continue to work alongside Wala to create a world where data is readily accessible and highly valued.

• Edit by Yuvin Kim, Co-founder of Walla, Paprika Data Lab Inc.

• This content is current as of March 10, 2023.