[2025 The CEO of Sunchon National University Early-Stage Startup Package] Hyun Yong Shin, CEO of Carbon en Nature

‘Carbon en Nature’, a startup that produces functional fertilizers and odor reducers for organic waste

Eliminating odors from processing facilities for oyster shells and decomposing organic matter to aid resource circulation
The carbon reduction effect is over 100× superior to existing microalgae technology, with productivity over 80% higher

Carbon en Nature is a company producing functional fertilizers and odor reducers using carbon dioxide (blue carbon) from oyster shells. The company was founded in April 2022 by CEO Hyun Yong Shin (50).

Its flagship product is a technology that extracts carbon dioxide from oyster shells and performs conversion into useful substances through the use of microorganisms and fermentation technology. This process produces and sells functional fertilizers and odor reducers for organic waste. The functional fertilizer helps even novice plant growers cultivate healthy plants; test cultivation confirmed that ginseng saponin content increased by up to 8×. The odor reducers for organic waste effectively eliminate odors from livestock manure, sewage sludge, and food solid content. During the demonstration period, its excellent odor reduction performance resulted in virtually no civil complaints.

“Our technology utilizes blue carbon from processing facilities for oyster shells to eliminate odors and decompose organic matter. We completed a 1,000-ton-scale demonstration at Tongyeong’s processing facilities for oyster shells in the first half of 2024 and received product sales approval from Tongyeong City.”

Carbon Nature’s competitive advantage lies in its carbon reduction effect being over 100× superior to existing microalgae technologies and its ability to reduce product production costs by approximately 80%. Additionally, it boasts significantly superior marketability compared to products without carbon reduction effects.

“We promote our functional fertilizers through blogs, purchase reviews, events, and more. The odor reducer is in the initial market entry phase, undergoing evaluation of its technological capabilities and marketability through proof-of-concept (PoC) testing. Customers who have used our product once have a 100% repurchase rate.”

What made CEO Shin decide to start a new company? “During my doctoral studies, I primarily worked on industrialization projects. Later, while conducting postdoctoral research in the Netherlands, I transferred patented technology to the global corporation DSM. This experience inspired me to pursue a career in startups. I had been hesitant before, but receiving recognition for my technology in developed countries boosted my confidence. I saved my salary during my postdoctoral research in the Netherlands, and I started my business after being selected for the Eco-Startup Pre-Startup program in 2022. We fund operations by completing one commercialization project per year. In April 2025, we received seed investment from The Invention Lab Co., Ltd., and in August, we were selected for the TIPS program. We plan to secure Pre-A investment funding by next June.”

After starting his business, Shin said, “I feel fulfilled when the product developed with carbon reduction technology receives high acclaim from people or companies and generates sales; when we rapidly provide technical support and build trust by collaborating with demand-side companies using the technical know-how honed in the lab; and, in the case of fertilizers, when we receive reviews saying ‘dying plants are revived and thrive’.”

Regarding future plans, Shin stated, “We will successfully demonstrate and enter the public procurement market with our completed algal bloom suppressant and remover, as well as products that help eliminate odors and improve water treatment yield at sewage treatment plants.” He added, “We also plan to launch various products utilizing carbon dioxide through microorganisms and bioprocessing technologies.” He further emphasized, “Rather than simply reducing carbon to develop an equivalent product, we aim for technology that produces a higher-quality product using carbon dioxide,” adding, “Our goal is to become the company focused on carbon-negative technology.”

Founded: April 2022
Main business: B2C online fertilizer sales, B2B odor reducers for organic waste
Achievements: Achieved 10 million won in sales in 2023 (online market, entry into smart farm fertilizer market); Achieved 53 million won in sales in 2024 (online market, smart farm fertilizer market, and entry into odor reducer market); Achieved 50 million won in sales in the first half of 2025 (online market, entry into smart farm fertilizer market, and entry into odor reducer market)

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com