QLab Inc. develops and supplies microbiome-based feed additives and functional feed to promote the healthy growth of farmed aquatic animals. QLab Inc. develops and supplies microbiome-based feed additives and functional feed to promote the healthy growth of farmed aquatic animals.
“QLab Inc. is a laboratory startup located at a university, so it’s different from other companies. I chose to do it as a laboratory startup for a few reasons. First is the rapid commercialization of research results. In other words, excellent research results from the laboratory can be quickly put to work in industry. Second, R&D is necessary in order to rapidly introduce new technologies and upgrades, but it’s difficult for a small company to operate an R&D organization or conduct R&D directly. Third, it’s easy for me to get help from highly-skilled people or make use of expensive equipment. The university has a lot of experts in a variety of different fields, and a lot of equipment as well. By leveraging these advantages of a laboratory startup, QLab Inc. is aiming at more than just making a profit. We want to become the technology leader both at home and abroad.”
In Korea, the average person consumes 68.4 ㎏ of seafood per year, which is higher than both rice, at 67㎏, and meat, at 66.2㎏. That number has risen by 24% from 52.6 ㎏ in 2011, and most of that difference can largely be attributed to the increase in aquaculture production. However, this increase in production is not all positive. Large-scale production in the aquaculture field leads to an increase in stress and disease-related mortality among farmed animals, which can cause economic losses to the industry.
“From 2018 to 2025, the Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans conducted a sample survey of 60 aquaculture farms, and estimated the cost of disease at around KRW 250 billion. The real number is thought to be much larger. To reduce these losses, aquaculture farmers use a lot of antibiotics and drugs. This creates a financial burden, and also leads to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, environmental pollution, food safety risks, and other issues. QLab Inc. is focused on additives as a way to solve these problems. In particular, the farmed animals lack an acquired immune system like humans, and vaccines are either impossible to make or difficult to administer, so raising them healthily from the start is extremely important.”
QLab Inc. has developed feed additives that can improve the health of farmed animals and the environments of aquaculture farms. To boost immunity, these additives include supplements and microbiome-based microorganisms tailored to the biological characteristics of each animal.
QLab Inc. has three main competitive advantages. The first is scientific data on the products. The company’s products were created based on research and verified through scientific experiments. The second is trust in the industrial effects, which has been gained through product validation by users in the field (managers and supervisors at aquaculture farms). The third is the collaborative relationship with users. QLab Inc. has a system for frequent and ongoing communication with users, which it is currently enhancing (and developing into a platform). Beyond simply selling products, QLab Inc. has established a system to collect and analyze product effectiveness (aquaculture data), usage problems, and various other information, and provide consulting to users. This way, Q-Lab Inc. can collaborate with users to upgrade its products.
Q-Lab Inc. was incorporated at the end of June, and is now working on designing its trademark, product packaging, homepage, etc. The company naturally plans to attract investment to grow, and is currently preparing for IR presentations and meetings with early-stage investors and institutional investors. Currently, Q-Lab Inc. has secured funding by winning contracts for startup-related projects from the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. This money was used to produce prototypes and conduct field verification tests. User feedback was positive, and the company entered the initial stage of mass production in August.
Regarding future plans, CEO Lim said, “Our products target abalone, flounder, and shrimp, which are commonly farmed in Korea. Of these, we’re planning to target flounder and abalone for growth in the domestic market, and shrimp in the international market, particularly in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia,” and added, “At the moment, we mainly sell additives and functional feed, but in the future, we plan to transform into a platform company that provides a total aquaculture solution.”
Date of Establishment: June 2025
Main Business: Development and sales of microbiome-based feed additives and functional feed to promote the healthy growth of farmed aquatic animals
Performance: Started mass production in August (15 tons sold)
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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