CEO Jung Sang-ho Presents Eco-Friendly Innovation at Start-up Nest IR Demo Day
"Nearly 400,000 tons of oyster shells are discarded annually in South Korea. Recycling 1 ton can reduce greenhouse gases by 280 kg, and processing 100,000 tons could generate carbon offset credits worth about 8 billion KRW."
At the "U-CONNECT Start-up Nest 15th IR Demo Day" held in Busan on the 1st, BLUELABS CEO Jung Sang-ho was the first to present. His statement caught the attention of the judges, who had been leafing through their presentation booklets with their heads bowed.
Jung explained, "Until July 2022, oyster shells were classified as waste and difficult to manage. However, the 'Act on Promotion of Recycling of Fisheries Byproducts' applied in 2022 opened new opportunities for their use." He introduced a strategy that transforms oyster shells into a profitable business model.
BLUELABS produces water treatment agents from oyster shells, which adsorb and remove residual water pollutants. The porous structure of the shells enhances adsorption capacity, making them more competitive than commercial adsorbents. Moreover, since they are made from natural materials, there is no concern about greenhouse gas emissions or wastewater generation, and the production cost is lower than that of other products.
On this day, 12 companies selected for the 15th round of the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund's Startup Nest program competed with their refined business models. Start-up Nest is a program that supports business enhancement by leveraging the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund's experience in supporting startups in collaboration with private accelerators. This event also served as an opportunity for participants to meet partners who can assist with business development and market expansion. According to Series Ventures, which organized the competition, investment experts from Lotte Ventures, Hana Ventures, BNK Venture Capital, Ulsan Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, Gyeongnam Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, Inje University Technology Holdings, Enlight Ventures, CKD Venture Capital, KN Investment Partners, and Coolidge Corner Investment participated as judges.
Son Won-il, Director of the Inje Global Technology Commercialization Center, remarked, "Among the participating teams, recycling companies like BLUELABS stood out. As environmental regulations continue to tighten in overseas markets such as the US and Europe, we must proactively secure such technologies to stay competitive."
