[Selected Startups for the 2025 Leap Package by Gwangju Information & Content Agency] CnerG, Operating a Global Marketplace for Mediating and Procuring Environmental Commodities

Yongnam Jin, CEO of CnerG

-Provides the ‘CnerG Platform,’ an integrated ERP solution that combines environmental commodity trading with ESG management

-Enables matching and procurement of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and carbon credits from over 108 countries on a single platform

CnerG is a premier marketplace operator specializing in the mediation and procurement of diverse environmental commodities, including international Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and carbon credits. Through its core solution, the CnerG Platform, the company provides an end-to-end value chain for Net Zero execution—spanning from carbon emission measurement to compliance reporting. The firm was established in March 2020 by CEO Yongnam Jin (51).

The flagship CnerG Platform serves as a one-stop ERP solution that integrates environmental commodity trading with comprehensive ESG management functions. It offers a specialized B2B trading environment designed to match and procure RECs and carbon offsets across more than 108 countries through a unified interface.

“We provide full-lifecycle support for a corporation's carbon neutrality journey, including emission measurement, carbon accounting, and supply chain management”, Jin stated. “Furthermore, to resolve the information asymmetry and lack of transparency that previously plagued the broker-centric REC market, we have implemented Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to significantly enhance transaction reliability and traceability.”

CnerG’s competitiveness is built on three pillars. First is the integration of fragmented markets. By consolidating geographically dispersed markets into a single marketplace, customers can efficiently manage RE100 compliance, carbon monitoring, procurement, and reporting in one place.

Second is its unmatched global sourcing and cross-border matching capability. Based on its early dominance in the Asian market, CnerG possesses a robust global network capable of matching large-scale environmental volumes across Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Third is its strategic focus on Supply Chain Management (SCM). Global enterprises often face a gap between headquarters' strategies and field execution due to dispersed supply chains and varying national regulations. CnerG has developed a solution to integrate this entire process and is currently conducting pilot tests with a leading domestic automaker. Given the vast number of suppliers in the automotive industry, the demand for supply chain-level carbon management is immense. A successful outcome is expected to lead to rapid adoption by other global corporations.

“As a global entity covering 108 countries, we utilize online marketing via Google and LinkedIn alongside participation in major international conferences”, said Jin.

“Recently, we attended VERGE 2025, the largest sustainability business conference in the U.S., where we expanded our collaborative networks with global partners. While our sales were initially outbound-focused through C-level networking, we are now seeing a significant increase in inbound inquiries.”

CnerG secured KRW 4 billion in Pre-A funding in 2022 and KRW 13.2 billion in a Pre-Series A Bridge round in 2025. The company is currently in the process of a Series A funding round targeting approximately KRW 30 billion.

Regarding future plans, CEO Jin remarked, “Our long-term goal is to evolve beyond a trading marketplace into a comprehensive decarbonization infrastructure and service provider. We aim to integrate ESG market intelligence, carbon accounting, SCM, commodity trading, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and direct power supply into a single, seamless ecosystem.”

Establishment Date: March 2020
Core Business: CnerG Platform (A marketplace for mediating and procuring environmental commodities).
Performance & Milestones: Revenue Growth: KRW 100 million (2022) → KRW 1.56 billion (2023) → KRW 16.6 billion (2024) → KRW 26.9 billion (Projected, 2025). Client Base: Secured 305 corporate clients. Awards: Received the $10 Million Export Tower at the 62nd Trade Day ceremony; CEO honored with the Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit.

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com