What Clean & Science does

Clean & Science Co., Ltd. is a South Korea-based filtration company founded in 1973 and listed on KOSDAQ since 2000. The company operates across the full filtration value chain — from raw filter media (filter paper, electrostatic meltblown nonwoven, thermal bond, needle punch, carbon composite, and wet-laid materials) through to finished filter products serving automotive (cabin filters), HVAC and cleanroom (ULPA/HEPA/chemical filters), industrial liquid filtration, power generation (gas turbine intake filters), and consumer applications (air purifiers, vacuum cleaners, air conditioners). Its consumer-facing sub-brand Klaring sells KF94/KF80/KF-AD certified masks via Naver Smart Store and Amazon, and its AWAVE sub-brand provides performance management consulting, the PLS Solution software tool, and corporate training services.

The company's technical platform centers on proprietary electrostatic meltblown charging technology developed through its Technology Research Institute (established 1996 and accredited by the Korea Industrial Technology Association), carbon composite media combining activated carbon with metal-impregnated carbon for simultaneous particle and gas-phase filtration, wet-laid media pilot capability, and functional filter treatments (deodorizing, flame-retardant, antibacterial, anti-allergenic). R&D facilities include 30m³ and 8m³ test chambers, optical microscopy, GC-MS spectroscopy, ion chromatography, particle counters, integrity and leak testers, and ULPA testing equipment — supporting performance claims of 99.999% particle capture at 0.1µm (ULPA), 99.97% at 0.3µm (HEPA), and 90%+ removal efficiency for NH3, O3, SOx, NOx, and VOCs.

Clean & Science generates revenue through B2B sales of filter media and finished filters to automotive manufacturers, semiconductor/LCD/pharmaceutical cleanroom operators, power plant operators, HVAC contractors, and consumer appliance OEMs, supplemented by direct-to-consumer mask sales and AWAVE consulting engagements. The company maintains a five-country international footprint — Korea (Seoul HQ plus Jeong-eup and Hanam manufacturing plants), USA (Rolling Meadows, IL), China (Shanghai), Thailand (Si Racha), and Japan (Osaka and Kawaguchi) — supporting direct enterprise field sales and a multilingual distribution presence. The company holds ISO9001, ISO14001, IATF16949, KF94/KF80/KF-AD, CE FFP2, FM, UL, FSC, and KAB certifications, and is a member of the U.S.-based National Air Filtration Association (NAFA).

Name

Clean & Science

Legal name

(주)크린앤사이언스

Website

https://cands.co.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Clean & Science is a South Korean KOSDAQ-listed filtration company, founded 1973, that manufactures proprietary filter media (meltblown, carbon composite, wet-laid) and finished filters for automotive, semiconductor cleanroom, HVAC, power generation, and consumer applications, with international subsidiaries across five countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Filter Products: Manufacturing and sale of finished filter products including home appliance filters (air purifiers, vacuum cleaners), automotive cabin filters, air conditioning filters, gas turbine filters for power plants, and cleanroom/HVAC filters (ULPA, HEPA, Medium, PRE grades).
2. Filter Paper Media: Filter paper products for automotive (air, oil, fuel), industrial applications, and specialty uses including EDM (wire-cut electrical discharge machines). Products include cellulose and synthetic fiber media.
3. Melt Blown Media: Melt blown nonwoven fabric for air purifiers, air conditioning, vacuum cleaners, water treatment, masks, and cabin air filtration. Electrostatic charging technology applied for enhanced performance.
4. Electrostatic Nonwoven: Electrostatic nonwoven materials for masks, cabin air filters, and air conditioner filters. Lower pressure drop with good dust-holding capacity compared to standard meltblown.
5. Carbon Media: Carbon composite media products combining activated carbon with meltblown for air purifiers, cabin air, and HVAC applications. Includes Combi type for dual dust collection and deodorization.
6. Klaring Mask Products: Consumer mask products under Klaring brand including KF94, KF80, KF-AD certified masks, Cover fit, Basic fit, Venti, and printed masks. Sold through Naver Smart Store and Amazon.
7. AWAVE Consulting: Management consulting services including organizational diagnosis, performance management systems (PLS Solution), and employee training programs. Strategic, organizational culture, and leadership consulting.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Clean & Science manufactures and sells industrial filter media (filter paper, meltblown nonwoven, carbon composite media, electrostatic nonwoven, thermal bond/needle punch nonwoven, UHMW/PTFE) and finished filter products (cabin, air purifier, vacuum cleaner, air conditioning, cleanroom/HEPA/ULPA, power plant gas turbine, and liquid cartridge filters). The company also sells consumer face masks under the Klaring brand and performance management consulting services under the AWAVE brand.

Product overview

Clean & Science is an environmentally friendly company specializing in filter media and filter products, offering a comprehensive portfolio across six media product lines (Carbon, Composite, Filter Paper, Melt Blown, Non Woven, and Trading/UHMW-PTFE), seven filter product categories (Air Purifier, Cabin, Vacuum Cleaner, Air Conditioning, Cleanroom & HVAC, Power Plant, and Liquid), consumer masks under the Klaring brand (Venti, Cover fit, Basic fit, KF-AD, KF-80, KF-94, and Printed Masks), and organizational consulting services via AWAVE (Consulting, PLS Solution, and Education). The company serves industrial applications including internal combustion engines, HVAC systems, cleanrooms, power plants, and consumer markets with masks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Klaring: Mask brand producing KF94, KF80, KF-AD masks and printed masks for dust and infectious disease protection
• Awave

Products and services

• Carbon Media
• Composite Media
• Filter Paper Media
• Melt Blown Media
• Non Woven Media
• Trading Media (UHMW / PTFE)
• Air Purifier Filter
• Cabin Filter
• Vacuum Cleaner Filter
• Air Conditioning Filter
• Cleanroom & HVAC Filter
• Power Plant Filter
• Liquid Filter
• Klaring Mask - Venti
• Klaring Mask - Cover fit
• Klaring Mask - Basic fit
• Klaring KF-AD
• Klaring KF-80
• Klaring KF-94
• Klaring Printed Mask
• AWAVE Consulting
• PLS Solution
• AWAVE Education / Training

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.999% particle capture efficiency at 0.1μm for ULPA filters
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Toray Industries, Inc. Japanese diversified materials manufacturer with significant filtration media (meltblown nonwoven, electrostatic media) and finished filter business. Direct comparable in media technology and high-purity filtration.
• Donaldson Company, Inc. US-listed global filtration manufacturer serving industrial, automotive, and cleanroom end-markets with filter media and finished filters. Directly comparable to Clean & Science across cabin air, HEPA, and industrial dust collection product lines.
• Mann+Hummel GmbH: Privately held German global filtration leader serving automotive OEM, industrial, and HVAC customers with cabin filters, engine filtration media, and cleanroom filters — directly overlapping with Clean & Science's automotive and HVAC businesses.
• Ahlstrom: Finnish specialty materials manufacturer focused on filtration media (filter paper, nonwoven, electrostatic media) for transportation, industrial, and HVAC end-uses. Directly comparable to Clean & Science's filter paper and nonwoven media products.
• Camfil AB: Swedish air filtration specialist focused on HEPA/ULPA cleanroom filters and HVAC air quality solutions, with global manufacturing. Highly comparable to Clean & Science's cleanroom/HVAC filter and chemical filter categories.

Broad incumbents

• 3M Company: US diversified industrial giant with a substantial Filtration segment (respiratory protection, HVAC, industrial filtration). Broad incumbent with overlapping products but not specialized exclusively in industrial filter media like Clean & Science.
• AAF Flanders (American Air Filter): Global industrial air filtration incumbent serving HVAC, cleanroom, and power generation markets with HEPA/ULPA and gas-phase filters. Comparable product portfolio to Clean & Science's cleanroom/HVAC and power plant filter lines.
• Parker Hannifin (Filtration Group): US-listed industrial motion and control giant with a Filtration Group serving industrial liquid/gas filtration, hydraulics, and HVAC. Broad incumbent with overlapping product lines in industrial and liquid filtration.
• Cummins Inc. (Filtration): US-listed powertrain and filtration company with a Filtration business unit serving automotive, industrial, and OEM customers. Comparable in automotive and industrial filter products, though Cummins is far larger and more diversified.

Regional players

• Kolon Industries, Inc. Korean industrial materials and chemicals producer with filtration media and nonwoven product lines. Most directly comparable Korean peer; both serve domestic automotive and industrial filtration customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Clean & Science