[CEOs of Incubated Companies at KATECH Chungnam Cheonan–Asan InnoTown] Firbl, Revolutionizing Carbon Dioxide into High-Value Carbon Nanomaterials

Hyoung Woo Yang CEO of Firbl

-Flagship Technology, Converting CO2 into high-value carbon nanomaterials through a vacuum-based dry process

-Core Innovation, Proprietary technology and equipment designed to transform greenhouse gases into industrial resources

Firbl is a deep-tech enterprise possessing advanced technology to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon nanomaterials. The company was founded in April 2024 by CEO Hyoung Woo Yang (44), who earned his Ph.D. from Sungkyunkwan University with a focus on the synthesis and analysis of nanomaterials and 2D materials.

The company’s flagship offerings are the technology and specialized equipment that utilize a vacuum-based dry process to transform CO2 into high-value carbon nanomaterials.

“We apply a dry treatment to CO2 using heat or plasma to enable decomposition, effectively using it as a raw material for carbon nanomaterials”, explained CEO Yang.

“While various CO2 conversion materials are currently being developed, most result in low-value products like plastics or methanol. In contrast, carbon nanomaterials are among the most versatile materials across industries—essential for secondary battery anodes and semiconductors—making them exceptionally high-value assets.”

Firbl’s primary competitive edge lies in its ability to internally design and manufacture the conversion equipment. This ensures that the machinery is perfectly optimized for the nanomaterial manufacturing process. Furthermore, by utilizing CO2 itself as a feedstock, the company directly addresses environmental concerns and carbon reduction mandates.

Currently, Firbl generates operational and R&D capital through the sale of compact vacuum equipment used in semiconductor and advanced material synthesis, such as CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition), PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), and Etching systems.

Regarding his motivation for founding the company, Yang shared, “During my doctoral studies, I focused on the synthesis of carbon nanomaterials and 2D materials, which naturally led me to understand their industrial importance. However, I realized that the quest for high-quality materials at low costs often relied on toxic raw materials that inevitably cause environmental pollution. This sparked a question 'Can we create high-performance materials from waste?' This led me to develop a product that uses CO2 as a raw material.”

Since founding the company, Yang has found his greatest fulfillment in seeing his conceptual ideas materialize into tangible products that find success in the market.

Regarding future plans, Yang stated, “Our short-term goal is the official product launch of our conversion system. Through this, we aim to significantly scale our revenue and solidify our position in the market.”

Date of Foundation: April 2024
Core Business: Vacuum components and equipment for semiconductors and advanced materials, Carbon nanomaterial production and specialized manufacturing equipment
Key Milestones & Achievements: Dec 2023: Achieved 100 million KRW in revenue (as a pre-startup), Dec 2024: Achieved 640 million KRW in annual revenue, Mar 2025: Selected for the Innopolis Campus Project (Korea Automotive Technology Institute), Apr 2025: Selected for the Initial Startup Package (Soonchunhyang University), Sep 2025: Won the Excellence Award at the Inno Star Challenge, Dec 2025: Projected annual revenue of 1.2 billion KRW

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com