Eco Renaissance specializes in upcycling, driving both environmental protection and economic value by transforming byproducts from agriculture (Ag-Tech) and marine sectors (Blue-Tech). CEO Yim Chul-kyun (42) founded the company in August 2023.
"Our company concept is 'Nothing in the world is useless,' so we work to give new life to things around us that might otherwise be easily discarded."
The flagship product is a 'low-methane functional feed using citrus byproducts.' It is a functional feed for beef and dairy cattle that reduces their methane emissions while also promoting weight gain.
"The Global Methane Pledge is opening new markets, with countries worldwide now seeking low-methane feed. This positions us for a promising future. We plan to export low-methane feed developed with domestic technology to signatory countries and are also preparing to expand into 'Low-Methane K-Meat' in the future."
CEO Yim highlighted three key strengths: "the use of natural ingredients, a weight-gain effect, and cost competitiveness."
"Most low-methane feeds in the domestic market use imported chemical additives, but Eco Renaissance uses natural ingredients, which addresses the reluctance of livestock farmers to use chemical-based feeds. Furthermore, it not only reduces methane but also has a weight-gain effect for the cattle. Because our raw materials are cheaper than commonly used corn and soy, we have a higher cost competitiveness compared to other companies."
Eco Renaissance is developing sales channels through B2C, B2B, and B2G strategies. For B2C, the company is recruiting livestock farms by sending samples to end-users and identifying farmers willing to switch their feed.
"We are running B2C promotions offering the feed to interested farms at a discounted launch price. For B2B, since conventional feed manufacturers are very large, we are not competing head-on but rather encouraging them to try our natural material as a substitute for the chemical additives in their existing feed. For B2G, we are increasing promotion to livestock officials in local governments outside the metropolitan area and plan to officially register our product on government procurement sites for mass sales."
Eco Renaissance has recently been in investment discussions with venture capitalists. "We need to finalize our R&D to achieve even higher methane reduction rates. We anticipate receiving investment as the increase in sales will support our vision for the item and reflects a positive market outlook. An investment could increase our net profit margin by about 20%, making it essential for long-term growth. After securing funding, we hope to build a pre-processing plant in Jeju and become a representative company of the island.”
What led CEO Lim to start the company? "I've always been interested in changing the world. I remembered that how dry cleaning was invented by an accident. One day, I had a sudden idea to try upcycling a banner, which led me to apply for the Pre-Startup Package. After being selected, I started the business. I explored various avenues in 2024, and an idea from that time is now generating sales in 2025. Believing that edible products are less sensitive to economic downturns than consumer goods, I pivoted to food upcycling for livestock feed and was selected for the Early-Stage Startup Package."
After founding the company, CEO Yim said, "I feel a great sense of reward when what I had only imagined becomes a reality." "When our development and marketing efforts succeed and I hear from potential customers and investors that 'it's a great idea,' 'it’s competitive,' or 'it's worth investing in,' I feel the most rewarded because it means that it wasn't just my dream. The second most rewarding moment is when we make a sale."
The Eco Renaissance team consists of four members, including CEO Yim. "I previously worked at the Korea Rural Economic Institute and served as the Chief of Staff for the city council in Sejong. As a city with both urban and rural areas, I could easily gain a lot of information from people in the agricultural and livestock industries just outside the city center. Our Sales Director, a former senior parliamentary aide, is well-versed in government agencies and is helping with our B2G expansion. The team is rounded out by an administrative director for government grant projects and a researcher for R&D."
Regarding future plans, CEO Yim said, "In the short term, our main focus is on publicizing that we've created a great product that protects the global climate through low-methane properties and increases profits for livestock farmers. In the medium term, we plan to sell the feed to domestic farms while simultaneously working to acquire carbon credits to gain an additional advantage."
Founded: August 2023
Main Business: Manufacturing of upcycled products; manufacturing of low-methane feed.
Achievements: Selected for the 2023 Pre-Startup Package; Grand Prize Winner at the 2nd Mapo-gu Mid-to-Senior Technology Startup Center Competition (2023); Selected for the 2025 Early-Stage Startup Package
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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