Biocraft

What Biocraft does

Biocraft (주식회사 바이오크래프트) is a private South Korean biotechnology company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Seogwipo-si, Jeju, that operates as Korea's only dedicated yeast research and production enterprise. The company isolates, develops, manufactures, and distributes liquid yeast strains for craft beer breweries, homebrewers, traditional Korean liquor (takju, yakju) manufacturers, and food companies, with a differentiated catalog of native strains sourced from Korean regional terroir (Jeju, Jirisan, Yongin, Gimhae).

The company operates three integrated service pillars: (1) YEAST FACTORY, producing and shipping fresh liquid yeast products across ~20 SKUs (Ale series BC10-BC49 covering American, English, Hazy, Hefeweizen, Kölsch, Belgian Wit, and Saison strains; Lager BC70; Korean traditional liquor BC800/BC810/BC910; and Wild & Bacterial LB120/LB210), all stored at -80°C and shipped after a 98-step quality verification including PCR genetic analysis and fermentation testing; (2) YEAST BANK, a long-term strain preservation service with 21-30 day recultivation lead times; and (3) YEAST LABORATORY, providing HPLC and GC/MS analytical services for quality control and customized fermentation solutions.

Biocraft generates revenue through a hybrid model: unit-priced yeast product sales (₩5,500 for Korean traditional liquor yeast, ₩13,000 for craft beer and specialty strains), recurring yeast banking fees, and project-based laboratory testing services. Distribution is primarily domestic via a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront (biocraft.co.kr) supplemented by a dedicated B2B 'Business' channel for commercial breweries and traditional sool producers, with regional representation through a Bio-Business Hub in Gimhae and a Production Technology Research Institute in Paju. Customer acquisition combines content marketing, email newsletter (Yeasty Letter), Instagram/Facebook community engagement, and active participation in domestic brewing exhibitions (KIBEX, MAXPO).

Name

Biocraft

Legal name

주식회사 바이오크래프트

Website

https://biocraft.co.kr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Biocraft is a Jeju-based Korean biotechnology company that isolates, develops, and produces proprietary native yeast strains for craft breweries, traditional Korean liquor manufacturers, and food companies, operating e-commerce, B2B, yeast banking, and analytical laboratory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Brewing Yeast Manufacturing

NAICS

Beverage Manufacturing (3121), Breweries (312120)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAJAJAC

Beverage Fermentation Cultures (Beer, Wine, Cider, Kombucha, Fermented Soft Drinks)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Ingredients & Additives/Cultures & Fermentation Ingredients (Starter Cultures, Probiotics, Yeast)

SECONDARYCRADAOAI

Cultures, Probiotics & Fermentation Ingredients (Starter Cultures, Yeast, Adjuncts)

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/CPG Ingredients, Flavorings & Additives Brands

SECONDARYAFAFAIAG

Fermented/Probiotic Beverage Co-Packing (Kombucha, Kefir, Culture Drinks)

Agriculture & Food Production/Beverage Production/Contract Beverage Manufacturing & Co-Packing

Keywords

• Brewing yeast strains
• Craft beer yeast
• Korean liquor yeast
• Yeast banking services
• Fermentation manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Jeju

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Yeast Product Sales: Direct sales of liquid yeast products to homebrewers, craft breweries, and traditional Korean liquor manufacturers through the company's e-commerce platform and B2B business channel. Products are sold in standardized packs at fixed price points (₩5,500-13,000 per unit).
2. Yeast Bank Service: Fee-based preservation service where customers deposit their proprietary yeast strains for long-term storage. The service includes isolation, preservation at -80°C, and culturing when needed, with approximately 21-30 days required for culturing.
3. Yeast Laboratory Services: Paid analytical and testing services using HPLC and GC/MS equipment for quality control of yeast and fermented beverage products, offering customized solutions for commercial customers requiring product quality assurance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Biocraft isolates, develops, and manufactures proprietary liquid yeast strains for craft breweries, traditional Korean liquor producers, and homebrewers. The company operates an integrated Yeast Bank (strain preservation), Yeast Laboratory (analytical services), and Yeast Factory (custom production) platform, offering ready-to-pitch liquid cultures with 98-step quality control and -80°C cryopreservation.

Product overview

Biocraft is Korea's only yeast specialty research company offering high-quality brewing yeast products and related services. The product portfolio comprises three interconnected pillars: (1) YEAST FACTORY - production and delivery of liquid yeast strains including Ale Yeasts (BC10, BC11, BC20, BC21, BC22, BC23, BC30, BC31, BC35, BC41, BC47, BC48, BC49), Lager Yeasts (BC70), Korean Liquor Yeasts (BC800, BC810, BC910), and Wild & Bacterial cultures (LB120, LB210); (2) YEAST BANK - a preservation service for customer-deposited yeast strains with cultivation capabilities; and (3) YEAST LABORATORY - analytical testing services using HPLC and GC/MS equipment for quality control and product development. All products are manufactured domestically and distributed fresh with 98-step quality verification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BC10 Uncle Odd's New England IPA Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain developed for New England IPA (NEIPA) style craft beer, characterized by fruit-forward ester production. Pitched directly by breweries without rehydration.
• BC11 Bavarian Wheat Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain tailored for Bavarian-style wheat beer (Hefeweizen), producing classic banana and clove aromatics.
• BC20 English Bitter Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain suited for English Bitter style ales, providing balanced malt-forward fermentation characteristics.
• BC21 London Ale Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain designed for traditional London Ale profiles with clean attenuation.
• BC22 French Saison Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain formulated for French Saison-style farmhouse ales.
• BC23 Belgian Wit Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain developed for Belgian Witbier style, supporting delicate spice and citrus character.
• BC30 American Amber Ale Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain engineered for American Amber Ale profile with clean fermentation and balanced ester production.
• BC31 Irish Red Ale Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain tailored for Irish Red Ale style, emphasizing malt and light caramel character.
• BC35 Belgian Saison Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain formulated for Belgian Saison style farmhouse ales with characteristic peppery and fruity esters.
• BC41 Dry Stout Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain designed for Dry Stout style, producing clean attenuation suited to dark malts.
• BC47 Hazy IPA Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain developed for Hazy IPA style with high biotransformation and hop-forward ester production.
• BC48 West Coast IPA Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain tailored for West Coast IPA style, providing very clean fermentation with neutral ester profile.
• BC49 NEIPA Yeast Liquid ale yeast strain engineered specifically for New England IPA (NEIPA), producing high levels of tropical fruit esters.
• BC70 German Lager Yeast Liquid lager yeast strain developed for German-style lagers, supporting clean fermentation at low temperatures.
• BC800 Takju Clear Yeast Liquid yeast strain native to Korea, isolated and developed for clear takju (Korean rice wine) fermentation.
• BC810 Takju Amber Yeast Liquid yeast strain native to Korea, developed for amber takju (Korean traditional rice wine) production.
• BC910 Yakju Makgeolli Yeast Liquid yeast strain native to Korea, developed for yakju and makgeolli (Korean traditional rice wine) fermentation.
• LB120 Wild Yeast Culture Wild yeast culture isolated from natural sources for brewers seeking unique fermentation characteristics.
• LB210 Bacterial Culture Lactic acid bacterial culture for sour beer production and kettle/lambic-style acidulated fermentations.
• Yeast Bank Service Subscription-based cryopreservation service for breweries and beverage companies to securely store proprietary yeast strains at -80°C with full traceability.
• Yeast Laboratory Service Analytical services including yeast strain identification, contamination testing, viability and vitality analysis using HPLC and GC-MS instrumentation.
• Yeast Factory Production Service Contract/custom liquid yeast production service for breweries requiring exclusive proprietary strains manufactured to their specifications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98 quality inspection checkpoints passed before each product ships with quality certificate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Kookmin University - Kim Lab (국민대학교 김 labs)coreTechnology or IntegrationAcademic research partnership with Kookmin University's Kim Lab focused on yeast and fermentation research. Co-located at Kookmin University's industry-academia collaboration building (318호), with CTO Park Yong-cheol serving as a professor in Kookmin's Convergence Bioengineering department.
• Gimhae Bioindustry Promotion Agency (김해의생명산업진흥원)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for regional product development, including the 'Jin-young 1927' craft beer project using Gimhae's local Dan-gam persimmon ingredients combined with Biocraft's specialty yeast strains. Biocraft also maintains a Bio-Business Hub office at Gimhae Passenger Terminal 3F.
• Seoul National University - GSIAT (서울대학교)coreTechnology or IntegrationResearch collaboration with Seoul National University's Department of Food Science and Biotechnology / GSIAT (Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology), supporting yeast metabolic engineering and fermentation technology development.
• KFBE - Korean Fermentation Biotechnology Education (한국발효생명공학교육)supportingTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration in fermentation biotechnology education and research, contributing to workforce development in Korea's fermentation industry.
• Korea Bio-Fuel Center (한국바이오연료센터)supportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with the Korea Bio-Fuel Center for research on yeast applications in biofuel and bio-product development.
• Kwak Lab (곽lab)supportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch collaboration with Kwak Lab (specific research focus area as referenced on biocraft.co.kr/services page).
• Chung-Ang University - Cobiotech (중앙대학교)supportingTechnology or IntegrationAcademic research partnership with Chung-Ang University's Cobiotech department for yeast and fermentation-related studies.
• Systems Bioengineering LabsupportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch collaboration with a Systems Bioengineering Lab (specific institution name as referenced on the services page) for yeast engineering research.
• Gyeongsang National University - Food Biotechnology (경상국립대학교)supportingTechnology or IntegrationAcademic partnership with Gyeongsang National University's Food Biotechnology department for fermentation technology research.
• FBTL (Fermentation Biotechnology Training Lab)supportingTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with FBTL (Fermentation Biotechnology Training Lab) for fermentation technology education and training support.
• Microbe HunterssupportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch network partnership focused on microbial exploration and yeast strain discovery.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Bootleg Biology: US-based startup focused on wild and native yeast isolation for craft brewing, including regional terroir-driven strains. Directly comparable to Biocraft's Regional Wild Yeast Series philosophy of sourcing native strains from unique environments for differentiated craft beer flavor.

Direct peers

• Imperial Organic Yeast: Craft brewing yeast manufacturer providing a curated strain library for breweries and homebrewers. Directly comparable in target customer (craft + homebrew segments) and product positioning (named strain SKUs), though focused on the North American market.
• Wyeast Laboratories: Long-established US craft brewing yeast producer offering pure liquid yeast cultures with activated packs. Comparable to Biocraft's craft beer yeast product line (Ale/Lager series at ₩13,000 per unit) and similarly positioned for craft brewers and homebrewers.
• White Labs: US-based craft brewing yeast manufacturer offering pure liquid yeast strains, analytical lab services, and a yeast culture bank. Closely matches Biocraft's three-pillar model (Factory + Lab + Bank) and its focus on craft beer styles, making it the most directly comparable peer in business model.
• Lallemand: Global yeast manufacturer with a dedicated brewing solutions division (Lallemand Brewing) producing liquid and dry yeast strains for craft and commercial breweries worldwide. Directly comparable to Biocraft as a supplier of brewing yeast strains, with a far larger strain catalog and international reach.
• Mangrove Jack's: New Zealand-based homebrewing supplier offering yeast, malt extracts, and brewing equipment, including specialty yeast strains for craft beer styles. Comparable to Biocraft's homebrew yeast line and e-commerce distribution model.
• Omega Yeast Labs: Chicago-based craft brewing yeast manufacturer specializing in liquid yeast and innovative seasonal strains for hop-forward styles (Hazy IPA, Juicy IPA). Comparable to Biocraft in targeting craft brewers with curated, style-specific strains like BC21 (Haze Ale) and BC11 (American Juicy Ale).
• Fermentis (Lesaffre): Lesaffre's beverage yeast brand, producing dry yeasts for beer, wine, cider, and spirits globally. Closely comparable to Biocraft in core function (brewing yeast manufacturing) and serves many of the same commercial brewery customers that Biocraft targets via its B2B channel.

Broad incumbents

• Lesaffre: Global leader in yeast and fermentation solutions, parent of Fermentis. Highly comparable as a much larger established player in yeast manufacturing across baking, brewing, nutrition, and health – adjacent to Biocraft's narrower brewing/traditional liquor focus.
• Chr. Hansen: Global bioscience company producing cultures, enzymes, and probiotics for food, beverage, and health industries. Compares to Biocraft as a much larger, established player in microbial cultures with extensive fermentation expertise and global reach, including beverage applications.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/biocraftyeast_official
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biocraft-official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Biocraft