[2025 The CEO of Sunchon National University Early-Stage Startup Package] Jaewoo Soh, CEO of Agrocell

‘Agrocell’, a startup that developed the world’s first genome-based natural auxin liquid fertilizer

Its flagship product, AminoAngel, enhances crop yield and marketability
Reducing the use of chemical fertilizers by approximately 30%, lowering farm costs while promoting environmental conservation

Agrocell is a K-Green Bio company that developed the first genome-based natural auxin liquid fertilizer in the world. The company aims to promote agricultural sustainability and increase farm income. It was founded in October 2023 by CEO Jaewoo Soh (51).

Its flagship product is ‘AminoAngel’. This environmentally friendly liquid fertilizer uses microorganism fermentation technology to produce auxin, a substance necessary for plant growth. It promotes root and stem development in crops, increasing yield and marketability. It also reduces the need for chemical fertilizers by about 30%, lowering costs for farmers while promoting environmental conservation. Its effectiveness has been proven across six crops, including tomatoes, bell peppers, and strawberries, with a high verification rate of 91%.

“AminoAngel is produced through a unique process combining genome-based auxin gene targeting technology and microorganism manufacturing, making it difficult for competitors to replicate. Additionally, its manufacturing cost is one-fifth that of conventional liquid fertilizers. AminoAngel has completed verification and delivery contracts with agricultural cooperatives and agricultural partnerships. Actual farms have repurchased the product three or more times, demonstrating its effectiveness and reliability.”

Currently, the domestic B2B supply is expanding primarily through agricultural cooperatives, agricultural partnerships, and horticultural associations. The company actively participates in local government subsidy programs and pilot projects. It has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Vietnam Southern Agricultural and Forestry Services Construction Investment Association, and it is expanding its market by participating in Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects in Southeast Asia.

What made CEO Soh decide to start a new company? “Currently, Korean farmers say they can’t farm because of fertilizers. I wanted to change the reality where farms and the environment are both struggling due to chemical fertilizers. Initial funding came from startup grants, research and development expenses, and personal capital. Subsequently, government R&D projects and various award-based grants enabled continued research and commercialization. Moving forward, we plan to pursue investments from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Agricultural Policy Insurance & Finance Service, and venture capital firms. By 2025, we plan to establish an OEM-based mass production system with Series A funding.”

After starting his business, Soh said, “I felt most rewarded when I heard directly from farmers, ‘The fertilizer costs went down, but the crops are growing better’. That one sentence made all the time poured into research and development worthwhile. I also felt immense pride when Agrocell was recognized by domestic and international institutions as a startup leading environmentally friendly agriculture.”

Agrocell has R&D and Business Development & Sales teams. The R&D team includes personnel with Ph.D.s in microbiology and molecular biology. The Business Development & Sales team includes experts with over 20 years of experience in the agricultural industry. “Though still a small team, we take pride in being a group that combines expertise and field experience.”

Regarding future plans, Soh stated, “In the short term, our goal is to secure a domestic market share centered on agricultural cooperatives and agricultural partnerships and achieve sales of 20 billion won from 2025 to 2026.” He added, “In the medium term, we aim to enter Southeast Asian ODA projects by 2027 and obtain USDA certification to access the high-value North American market. In the long term, we aspire to lead the global environmentally friendly fertilizer market and establish ourselves as a core solution provider for sustainable agriculture.”

Founded: October 2023
Main business: development and production of genome-based natural auxin liquid fertilizer
Achievements: Won the Minister of SMEs and Startups Award in 2024; Won the excellence award at the KIST Startup Competition; Selected as one of the top 100 promising startups; Received the special award at the LOTTE Young Entrepreneur Awards; Received the excellence award from the Korea Angel Association;
Selected as a Green Bio Company by the Agricultural Policy Finance Institute in 2025; Completed verification and delivery contracts with agricultural cooperatives and agricultural partnerships; Signed an MoU with the Vietnam Southern Agricultural and Forestry Services Construction Investment Association

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com