Carbon Neutral Research Institute

What Carbon Neutral Research Institute does

Carbon Neutral Research Institute (CNRI; 한국어: (주)탄소중립연구원) is a Seoul-headquartered, privately held B2B provider of life cycle assessment (LCA) software and carbon management consulting, founded in 2024 and serving Korean manufacturing enterprises across automotive, chemicals, consumer goods, electronics, equipment, fashion, pharma, and paper verticals. The company operates two complementary lines of business: a consulting practice covering ISO-standard LCA/PCF (Product Carbon Footprint) calculation, Scope 1/2/3 emissions inventories, EU CBAM compliance, K-ETS and Korean target management, CDP questionnaire support, and SBTi target setting; and a SaaS product suite comprising LynC (LCA management with multi-OEM report generation, approval workflows, and preview-only external distribution) and Tanso Hub (integrated carbon data management, report generation, and third-party verification workflows). Notable technical differentiators include one-source multi-use reporting across OEM standards (BMW, Stellantis, Hyundai SCEMS, Catena-X), dual-screen trade secret masking for proprietary formulations, Plan B temporary calculation when supplier data is delayed, and production-based allocation methodology for shared facilities.

The company monetizes through professional services engagements (project-based consulting) and SaaS subscriptions, with a stated transition narrative from consulting-led to software-led operations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; sales are quote-based through inquiry forms on cnrikorea.com with dedicated sales representatives responding within two business days. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting large Korean manufacturers and their supply chains, supported by industry-specific case studies and thought-leadership columns published in Korean trade media. CNRI holds third-party verified ISO 14040, ISO 14044, and ISO 14067 certifications for LCA/greenhouse gas methodology, ISO 27001 and ISO 27017 for information security, and is certified as an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) domestic and international examination agency. The company raised pre-Series A funding in July 2024 from Seoul Techno Holdings (Seoul National University Technology Holdings), GS Ventures, and MYSC, led by co-founders Min Lee (CEO) and Jongho Lee (CTO/COO). Headcount is reported at 1-10 employees.

Name

Carbon Neutral Research Institute

Legal name

(주)탄소중립研究院

Website

https://cnrikorea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CNRI is a Seoul-based B2B provider of life cycle assessment (LCA) software and carbon management consulting for Korean manufacturing enterprises, offering LynC and Tanso Hub SaaS platforms alongside ISO-standard LCA/PCF, Scope 1/2/3, EU CBAM, K-ETS, CDP, and SBTi services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Carbon Management Software

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Enterprise Carbon Accounting & GHG Inventory Platforms (EUABAEAA), Supply Chain & Product Carbon Advisory (Scope 3 Procurement, PCF Support) (EUABADAJ), Scope 1–3 GHG Inventory Strategy, Data Governance & Controls (advisory) (EUABAKAD)

Keywords

• Life cycle assessment services
• Carbon footprint software
• Greenhouse gas consulting
• ESG compliance solutions
• Carbon management platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for LCA, PCF, Scope 1/2/3, CBAM, CDP, SBTi, K-ETS, and target management compliance. Services include emissions inventory setup, calculation, report writing, and third-party verification support.
2. SaaS Software Subscriptions: LynC SaaS platform for LCA management and compliance, and Tanso Hub for carbon data operations. Software products are offered as part of the SW product suite for companies transitioning from consulting to software-based operations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Carbon Neutral Research Institute provides life cycle assessment (LCA) and product carbon footprint (PCF) software and consulting services to South Korean manufacturing enterprises. The company's core technology platform, LynC, is a SaaS solution designed to streamline LCA processes and PCF calculations, complemented by Tanso Hub for carbon data operations, third-party verification workflows, and report distribution. The consulting arm covers LCA/PCF calculation, Scope 1/2/3 inventory, EU CBAM, K-ETS, CDP, and SBTi compliance built on ISO 14040/14044/14067 methodologies.

Product overview

Carbon Neutral Research Institute offers a platform-plus-modules product architecture centered on two SaaS tools — LynC and Tanso Hub — complemented by a suite of specialized consulting services. LynC focuses on LCA management and approval workflows (including preview-only access and internal approval integration to prevent unauthorized external distribution), while Tanso Hub handles broader carbon data operations including integrated database management, report generation, approval requests, and third-party verification. The consulting arm covers LCA/PCF calculation, Scope 1·2·3 inventory and reporting, EU CBAM compliance, K-ETS and target management systems, CDP questionnaire support, and SBTi target setting — all built on ISO-standardized methodology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LynC: SaaS platform for streamlining life cycle assessment (LCA) management and compliance, enabling companies to calculate product carbon footprints and submit LCA reports to customers and regulators.
• Tanso Hub

Products and services

• LynC SaaS Platform A SaaS platform for LCA management and approval workflows that helps organizations streamline life cycle assessment processes, manage submission and verification workflows, and produce LCA reports with preview-only access and internal approval integration to prevent unauthorized external distribution. Targeted at manufacturing enterprises seeking to operationalize repeated carbon reporting.
• Tanso Hub A carbon data management and reporting platform that consolidates database management, report generation, approval requests, and third-party verification workflows, enabling organizations to operate repeated carbon reporting tasks with integrated database management.
• LCA/PCF Assessment Consulting Product unit carbon emissions calculation and third-party verification support for manufacturing customers needing ISO 14040/14044/14067-compliant LCA reports.
• Scope 1/2/3 Inventory Consulting Construction of organizational and supply chain greenhouse gas inventories covering facility-level (Scope 1/2) and value chain (Scope 3) emissions.
• EU CBAM Compliance Consulting Embedded emissions calculation and importer submission documentation support for manufacturers preparing for EU CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism) compliance.
• K-ETS and Target Management Compliance Consulting

Quantifiable outcome

• Significantly reduces costs and time associated with LCA calculations for manufacturing companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yuhan KimberlycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022CNRI developed and operates the LCA system for Yuhan Kimberly's 'Bi-Cycle' hand towel recycling campaign. The system tracks carbon reduction from waste-to-resource processes across 61 business sites nationwide. CNRI also collaborated with HD Hyundai, Lotte Real Estate, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, LG Science Park, Kyobo Life, and Seoul Metropolitan Government as campaign participants.
• HD HyundaiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Participated in Yuhan Kimberly's Bi-Cycle hand towel recycling campaign, using CNRI's LCA-verified carbon reduction data for their ESG reporting.
• Samsung Electro-MechanicsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Participated in Yuhan Kimberly's Bi-Cycle hand towel recycling campaign, using CNRI's LCA-verified carbon reduction data for ESG reporting purposes.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• One Click LCA: Global SaaS for Life Cycle Assessment and Product Carbon Footprint across construction and manufacturing. Direct overlap with CNRI's LynC in PCF/LCA methodology, BOM-level emissions calculation, and multi-standard reporting for manufacturers serving global OEMs.
• PRé Sustainability (SimaPro): Developer of SimaPro, one of the most widely used LCA tools globally, with deep ISO 14040/14044 alignment. Directly comparable to CNRI's LynC on LCA methodology, datasets, and PCF calculation for industrial customers.
• ClimateEarth: Specialist in product carbon footprint and supply chain emissions for industrial customers, including OEM-grade reporting. Comparable to CNRI's LynC and Tanso Hub on BOM-level PCF and supplier engagement for manufacturing.

Broad incumbents

• Sphera: Long-standing enterprise EHS and product sustainability / LCA software suite (formerly thinkstep/GaBi). Competes with CNRI in industrial LCA/PCF, Scope 1-3, and SBTi/CBAM reporting, but at much larger enterprise scale and with broader portfolio functionality.
• South Pole: Global climate solutions provider combining carbon advisory, project development, and software-enabled services. Comparable to CNRI on the carbon consulting / advisory side (SBTi, target setting, supply chain engagement) for large corporates.
• Carbon Trust: International climate consultancy and certification body with deep product carbon footprint and supply chain advisory practices. Overlaps with CNRI on PCF, Scope 3, and verified environmental claims for manufacturing clients.

Emerging players

• Watershed: Enterprise carbon accounting platform for Scope 1-3 measurement, reporting, and reduction. Overlaps with CNRI's Tanso Hub on enterprise GHG inventory, SBTi, and CDP workflows for large corporates, though typically at the corporate rather than product level.
• Persefoni: Cloud carbon footprint management platform for enterprises, covering Scope 1-3 accounting and climate strategy. Comparable to Tanso Hub on carbon data management and reporting for large organizations pursuing SBTi/CDP disclosure.
• Greenly: Carbon accounting SaaS with advisory services, focused on SMEs and mid-market. Partial overlap with CNRI's combined consulting-plus-software model and Scope 1-3 reporting workflows, though with a different customer segment.

Regional players

• Codo Globe (코드글로브): Korean LCA and carbon management services and software provider serving domestic manufacturers. Closest direct Korean competitor to CNRI in LCA consulting and PCF tooling for the same K-ETS, CBAM, and SBTi compliance use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance5 records

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 Carbon Neutral Research Institute