What Earthform does

Earthform (어스폼) is a Seoul-based, privately held materials startup founded in December 2021 by CEO Jung Seong-il. The company manufactures biodegradable packaging and cushioning materials that directly replace expanded polystyrene (EPS/styrofoam), using mushroom mycelium as a natural binding agent combined with agricultural and fisheries waste substrates such as sawdust, beer spent grain, potato peels, oyster shells, rice hulls, and green tea residues. The production process involves simple shredding and sterilization, mycelium inoculation and cultivation in molds, and drying — yielding materials that fully biodegrade in 50 days in ordinary soil and 150 days in seawater, with over 80% lower production carbon emissions and over 70% lower disposal emissions versus styrofoam. The company holds registered Korean patents for its core manufacturing method and recipe variations, and operates a 5-person team supplemented by advisors.

Earthform sells primarily through a B2B enterprise sales-led motion, targeting manufacturers, distributors, cosmetics brands, and food/beverage producers seeking ESG-aligned packaging and circular-economy solutions. Revenue is generated via one-time hardware sales of packaging and cushioning materials, custom proof-of-concept projects (notably with Amorepacific for cosmetics packaging using green tea production waste and with a perfume brand entering mass production), and the development of patent-registered manufacturing recipes that support a longer-term licensing/royalties opportunity. Mass production is underway at thousands-of-units scale across flower packaging, eco-friendly perfume packaging, and straw substitutes. Pricing is negotiated per-project with no public list price.

The company is at an early commercialization stage following a December 2024 seed round led by MYSC, WooVentures, and BigBang Angels, supported by selection into numerous Korean government and corporate programs including TIPS R&D, the Rural Development Administration's Agri-Food Venture Fostering program, DB Insurance's GREEN WITH 유 social venture program, and the Amorepacific A MORE Beautiful Challenge open innovation program. The company plans to launch an 'Earth Platform' for real-time carbon reduction monitoring, suggesting an emerging software/data layer on top of the core physical product.

Name

Earthform

Legal name

주식회사 어스폼

Website

https://earthform.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Earthform is a Seoul-based startup that manufactures biodegradable, mycelium-based packaging and cushioning materials as a styrofoam replacement, serving B2B customers in cosmetics, floral, food and beverage, and construction sectors using agricultural and fisheries waste as feedstock.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biodegradable Packaging Materials

NAICS

Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (326)

SIC

Plastics Products, Nec (3089)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Protective & Cushioning Materials (Paper Cushions, Bio-Foams, Mycelium) (IMALAMAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Biodegradable Packaging Materials (films, trays, foams) (IMAEAOAB), Bio-based Packaging Materials (molded fiber, bio-barrier coatings, compostables) (IMAMALAI), Compostable & Bio-Based Packaging (PLA/PHA, Starch Blends, Cellulose Films) (IMALAMAB)

Keywords

• Biodegradable packaging materials
• Mycelium packaging solutions
• Eco-friendly cushioning materials
• Agricultural waste packaging
• Styrofoam alternatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Biodegradable Packaging & Cushioning Material Sales: Sale of mycelium-based packaging and cushioning materials to businesses replacing styrofoam. Products include flower packaging, perfume packaging, straw substitutes, marine buoys, and construction/insulation materials. B2B pricing; raw material sourcing from waste keeps costs competitive with styrofoam.
2. Enterprise PoC and Custom Manufacturing: Proof-of-concept projects with enterprise partners such as Amorepacific for eco-friendly cosmetic packaging. Short-term goal of mass production (thousands of units) for multiple products including flower packaging, perfume packaging, and straw substitutes.
3. Licensing of Manufacturing Recipes: Various agricultural and fisheries waste recipes have been developed and patent-registered. Potential for technology licensing as the company scales.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Earthform manufactures biodegradable packaging and cushioning materials by binding agricultural and fisheries waste (sawdust, beer lees, potato peels, oyster shells, rice hulls, green tea residues) with mushroom mycelium. The mycelium acts as a natural adhesive that, after simple shredding, sterilization, inoculation, and drying, forms a solid material that fully biodegrades in 50 days in soil and 150 days in seawater, directly replacing styrofoam (EPS) packaging.

Product overview

Earthform (어스폼) is a Korean startup that produces mushroom mycelium-based biodegradable packaging and cushioning materials as a direct replacement for styrofoam. The company operates a unified product line centered on their core 'Earthform' material, which is manufactured using mushroom mycelium combined with agricultural and fisheries byproducts such as dead wood sawdust, beer spent grain, potato peels, and oyster shells. The production process involves inoculating prepared molds with mycelium, allowing it to grow and bind the substrate, then drying to create a solid, durable material. Earthform's materials fully biodegrade within 50 days in ordinary soil without releasing harmful substances, addressing the environmental concerns of traditional styrofoam which takes approximately 500 years to decompose. The company is expanding into applications including cosmetics packaging, insulation, marine buoys, and artistic/interior design materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Earthform Biodegradable Packaging and Cushioning Material (어스폼 포장·완충재) Core biodegradable packaging and cushioning material made from mushroom mycelium combined with agricultural and fisheries waste. Fully biodegradable in 50 days in ordinary soil and 150 days in seawater with no harmful byproducts. Sold to manufacturers, distributors, and brands seeking to replace styrofoam (EPS).
• Biodegradable Flower Packaging (친환경 꽃 포장재) Styrofoam replacement packaging designed for the floral industry, using mycelium-based biodegradable material. Currently in mass production at thousands-of-units scale.
• Eco-friendly Perfume Packaging (친환경 향수 포장재) Mycelium-based biodegradable packaging developed for perfume and fragrance brands as a sustainable alternative to conventional cosmetic packaging materials.
• Biodegradable Straw Substitutes (친환경 빨대 대체재) Mycelium-based straw alternatives for food and beverage industry use, replacing single-use plastic straws.
• Biodegradable Marine Buoys (친환경 해양 부표) Long-lasting biodegradable marine buoys made from mycelium composite material with natural extract coatings, designed as environmentally safe alternatives to styrofoam marine buoys.
• Mycelium Construction and Insulation Materials (건축·단열재)

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 days biodegradation in ordinary soil; 150 days in seawater
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 한국농업기술진흥원 (Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 20245 technology transfers completed with the agency in February 2024. Selected for AFPRO KOAT DEMODAY 2025, winning the Korea Agricultural Technology Promotion Agency Director's Award. Also selected for the 2025 Agri-Food Venture Fostering Support Program and agricultural by-product eco-circulation technology development.
• MYSC Extra-Mile Acceleration 2기minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2024Selected for MYSC Extra-Mile Acceleration Program 2nd cohort in February 2024.
• 한국지역난방공사 (Korea District Heating Corp / 따소미 program)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2023Selected for Korea District Heating Corp's Dasomi warming enterprise fostering program in December 2023.
• 한국과학기술연구원 (KIST / H-Bridge)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Selected for KIST's H-Bridge program in December 2023 for technology development support.
• Amorepacific (아모레퍼시픽)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023Earthform was selected for Amorepacific's 'A MORE Beautiful Challenge' open innovation program. The two companies are discussing using Amorepacific's production waste (green tea stems, leaves, residues from natural ingredient cosmetics manufacturing) as raw material for Earthform packaging, creating a closed-loop circular packaging solution for Amorepacific's products.
• 서울홍릉강서특구 GRaND-KminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 May 2023Selected for Seoul Hongneung-Gangseo Special Zone's GRaND-K Startup School and won the Grand Prize at the GRaND-K Startup Competition. Provided networking with ecosystem partners and potential customers.
• DB손해보험 (DB Insurance / GREEN WITH 유)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023Selected as one of 6 social ventures (out of 296 applicants) for DB손보's 'GREEN WITH 유' social venture support program, jointly planned with the Environmental Foundation and Underdogs, and supported by the Ministry of Environment. Receives funding, ESG consulting, legal, tax, accounting, and marketing acceleration support.
• KT&G (상상스타트업 캠프)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Selected for KT&G's SangSang Startup Camp 7th cohort. Participated in demo day and exhibition, gaining visibility among potential customers and investors.
• 경희대학교 캠퍼스타운 (Kyung Hee Campus Town)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2023Selected as excellent company in Camp 5 (2023), won Grand Prize in Camp 6 (2024), and won Top Prize in Camp 7 (2025). The Campus Town program provides funding, mentorship, and networking for early-stage startups at Kyung Hee University.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ecovative Design: US-based pioneer and global leader in mycelium-based packaging materials using mushroom mycelium grown on agricultural waste. Earthform is directly comparable in technology approach and target use case (EPS replacement), though Ecovative is far more mature with partnerships including IKEA, Dell, and Sealed Air.
• Mogu: Italian company producing mycelium-based interior design and acoustic panels from agricultural waste, with similar mycelium-substrate technology to Earthform. Comparable as a direct mycelium materials peer, though focused on building materials rather than packaging.

Emerging players

• MycoTechnology: US-based company using mycelium fermentation for food ingredients, with adjacent mycelium material science capabilities. Comparable as a mycelium-technology platform, though focused primarily on food applications rather than packaging.
• BioFoam: Company developing biodegradable mushroom-based foam packaging as EPS alternatives. Direct technology overlap with Earthform's mycelium cushioning material approach.
• Notpla: UK-based company producing seaweed-based biodegradable packaging as plastic replacement. Comparable as an emerging sustainable packaging innovator competing for similar ESG-driven enterprise customers, though using a different material technology.
• Cruz Foam: US-based startup producing chitin-based sustainable packaging foam from crustacean shell waste as an EPS alternative. Comparable as an emerging bio-based protective packaging competitor targeting similar sustainability-driven CPG customers.
• Loliware: US-based company producing seaweed-based biodegradable straws and single-use items. Comparable as a sustainable packaging startup targeting similar enterprise customers seeking plastic alternatives, though with a different material feedstock.

Broad incumbents

• Sealed Air: Global packaging incumbent producing protective packaging including EPS-based solutions (Bubble Wrap, Instapak). Competes with Earthform in the same protective packaging category and is also partnering with Ecovative, representing both an incumbent competitor and a potential acquisition partner.

Regional players

• GreenWrap / KTM Industries: European mycelium packaging producer (formerly Magical Mushroom Company) operating in EU/UK markets. Comparable as a regional mycelium packaging peer with similar technology approach, though serving European rather than Asian markets.

Others

• Amorepacific: Earthform's named enterprise customer and open innovation partner for cosmetics packaging using production waste. Listed as an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but represents the type of large strategic partner Earthform is targeting for circular packaging solutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Earthform