Jung Sungil, CEO of EARTHFORM.Inc
Natural decomposition produces no harmful substances, solving a serious carbon emissions problem
Proven by overwhelming intellectual property rights (IPRs) on two pillars of "technical maturity" and "responsiveness to environmental regulations"
Earthform is a startup that develops packaging and cushioning materials using mushroom mycelium and agricultural and fishery waste. The company was founded in December 2021 by CEO Jung Sungil (36).
"Earthform is a company that reduces the excessive use of disposable products that are used with no appropriate alternatives," said CEO Jung. "We are developing products that solve a serious issue of carbon emissions around the world."
Earthform is currently developing an alternative to expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is a carbon-emitting styrofoam. "Earthform's products decompose within 50 days in normal soil," said CEO Jung, adding, "It has the advantage of not producing any harmful substances during natural decomposition."
"Earthform's products are manufactured with an eco-friendly production process. We inoculate fungi into agricultural and fishery waste such as sawdust and grow them in molds. After the mycelia have grown enough, we take it out of the mold and dry it to form a solid eco-friendly material."
Earthform is establishing a process to convert spent mushroom substrate obtained after mushroom harvest into raw materials by linking it to the circular resource certification system, which is the first such process associated with institutional efforts in Korea. As a result, the scope of the item has expanded beyond "simple product development" to "building a production system based on resource circulation."
"Earthform's greatest market competitiveness is demonstrated by its overwhelming intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the two pillars of 'technical maturity' and 'responsiveness to environmental regulations.' To date, we have 4 patents registered, with 11 Korean and 1 PCT patent pending. This gives us the most robust patent portfolio of any mycelium-based material company in Korea. By distributing our core technologies across processes such as formulation, molding, drying, and degradation, we are raising the entry barrier for late entrants. In collaboration with large corporations and local governments, this is the basis for gaining great trust."
The properties of the material itself also add to its differentiated superiority. Earthform's products can be degraded in less than two months under both household and industrial composting conditions. The production process, which consumes relatively little energy, significantly reduces the carbon emissions compared to conventional thermoplastic bioplastics. This makes it a very attractive option for brands that are concerned about both waste issues and ESG.
"For the first time in Korea, spent mushroom substrate has been defined as a raw material based on the recognition of circular resources," said CEO Jung. "By utilizing it in production, we are building a system that reduces legal and policy risks, which is also our competitive advantage."
Earthform's sales strategy is based on B2B-oriented direct orders and securing references. "In the second half of 2023, we won an order for a perfume package from a Korean cosmetics brand," said CEO Jung. "Starting with this, we are building trust as a substantial distribution partner for various corporate customers."
Earthform secured seed funding in late 2024 to accelerate its mass production process and improve its internal infrastructure. The Pre-A round is scheduled for the first half of next year. The company is currently engaged in various discussions with impact investors and social venture funds specializing in resource circulation and eco-friendly materials, as well as funds associated with local public enterprises promoting ESG transformation in the environmental field.
"For Earthform, 2025 will be a year of 'substantial expansion'," said CEO Jung. "We want to move beyond just technology development and start the execution phase, which includes mass production, certifications, and procurement."
Founded: December 2021
Key business areas: Development of biodegradable packaging materials and eco-friendly cushioning and molding materials for resource circulation based on mushroom mycelia
Achievements: Korea's first and only regular mass production of eco-friendly mycelium materials. Selected for the Agricultural and Food Venture Promotion Support Project in 2025. Selected for the Eco-Circulation Technology R&D of the Rural Development Administration in 2025. Attracted seed investment from MYSC, WOW Partners, and Bigbang Angels. Won the Grand Prize on the 2024 Campers' VISION Demo Day from Kyunghee University Campus Town. Won the Prime Minister's Award at the Finals and won the Seoul Mayor's Award in the main event at the 2023 Social Venture Competition. Won the Grand Prize at the GRaND-K Startup Competition.
reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com
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