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"I believed that changing products we encounter daily is the starting point of sustainability."
The Yoon Tae-i (CEO) of climate tech startup Uisikju stated this regarding the company's founding background. Uisikju's core business model is the rebirth of waste resources.
A former beauty and branding expert, he founded Uisikju in 2022. He previously served as a cosmetics brand manager at Aekeong Industry and as head of Moments Company, a subsidiary of Birdview, which operates a cosmetics ingredient analysis platform called Hwaehae.
Yoon (CEO) focused on the accommodation sector. While used bedding generated by accommodation facilities amounts to approximately 600 tons annually and waste wood reaches about 4 million tons, a significant portion was being incinerated. Uisikju designed a circular structure to rebirth these waste resources into lifestyle materials and beauty products.
The flagship material is 'Greenfelt,' a fiber made by recycling used bedding. It is produced by processing collected used bedding from collaborations with Glad Hotel and Kumho Resort, among others. Going beyond simple recycling, Uisikju applied patented technology jointly developed with the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology to enhance physical properties.
Generally, recycled fibers tend to suffer quality degradation due to damage occurring during the process of removing impurities and extracting fibers. The company explains that this was compensated through a special purification technology, securing physical properties comparable to new fibers. Additionally, durability was strengthened using the 'HYBE Reel Needle Punching' method, which combines resource-circulation fibers according to their intended use.
Based on this, Uisikju obtained Upcycling certification from the Korea Environmental Industry Association and received the Ministry of Environment's Excellence in Resource Circulation Case award. Using these materials, Uisikju produces home goods and bedding.
Recently, the company expanded its business scope by launching a beauty brand called 'Kreamd,' which utilizes forest debris from Busan. This was achieved through the Korea Forest Service's 'Youth Forestry Startup Catalyst Support Project,' which advanced technologies for utilizing fire-damaged trees and waste wood.
The flagship product is the 'Sun Cleansing Pad.' The sheet is made using cellulose fibers extracted from waste wood. By applying a process that entangles fibers using only strong water pressure without adhesives or binders, it is designed to be 100% biodegradable in soil after use.
Functionally, the focus was on removing inorganic sunscreen residues. The company states that its proprietary formula, which combines deep-sea ocean water and kiwi fruit extract (an forest product), enhances physical cleaning power, demonstrating efficacy in removing 99.8% of sunscreen residue. It further added, "This shows the possibility that forest resources can serve as a practical solution to everyday problems."
Yoon (CEO) stated, "The Youth Forestry Startup Catalyst Support Project is distinctive because it provided close support to produce tangible results through not only business funding but also mentoring and expert consulting." He continued, "Only when the technology secured through this project translates into actual sales can it be recognized as a business achievement. Based on a steady trend of annual revenue growth, we have expanded our business solely through internal sales and government support projects without seeking external investment. This year, we plan to raise investment with the goal of expanding our scope."
Just as the name 'Uisikju' ( - clothing, food, and shelter) adds 'meaning' (의), Uisikju's mission is to build an ecosystem that converts all daily consumption into eco-friendly data. Yoon (CEO) said, "Globally, the cosmetics and consumer goods industries are cited as major sources of plastic waste and carbon emissions. We plan to build a system where consumers can verify through data that they are contributing to carbon reduction simply by using products, rather than merely appealing to 'conscious consumption' in the short term."
This year, the company plans to fully launch its global strategy, starting with the U.S. market, leveraging material innovation and product competitiveness that resolves consumer inconveniences. It aims to expand global sales through the listing of Kreamd products on Amazon in the United States.
Meanwhile, the company is accelerating efforts to strengthen ESG management. It donates a portion of its profits to Single-Parent Family Support Centers and GoodNaver, among others. Based on these activities, it was certified as a Social Enterprise by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, designated as a Shared Enterprise by Seoul Metropolitan Government, and selected as one of the 'Seoul Legend 50+' companies.
[MoneyToday startup media platform Unicorn Factory]
in FUTURE
