DFRN (service name Circlo), a company developing sustainable resource circulation solutions, announced that it has attracted seed investment from Korea Investment Accelerator. The investment amount is undisclosed. Through this investment, DFRN plans to actively pursue its goal of becoming a global eco-friendly material company.

DFRN focused on the problem that chemical fibers, which account for about 72% of discarded clothing, are difficult to recycle with existing technologies. Currently, most clothes, shoes, and bags made from chemical fibers are incinerated or landfilled, with only 1% being recycled as raw materials.

The company is developing ‘Circlo’, a high-efficiency, low-cost resource recovery solution that overcomes the limitations of existing biochemical recycling processes by combining enzyme-based biological recycling technology with a deep learning-based AI protein design model and data-driven research. A key strength is its unique pre-treatment technology, which can precisely separate fibers and non-fibers under low-energy conditions, creating synergy with enzyme-based recycling technology to secure higher economic efficiency compared to existing methods.

Currently, DFRN is demonstrating its commercialization potential by conducting a Proof of Concept (PoC) for the circulation of discarded workwear with Lindstrom Korea, a global company specializing in industrial workwear rental. The team, led by CEO Han-gook Kim and composed of bio, AI, and chemical process experts from KAIST and SK, is evaluated to possess both technological prowess and business experience.

Han-gook Kim, CEO of DFRN, stated, “Through this investment, we will take the lead in solving the problem of discarded clothing and realizing a sustainable circular economy. Our goal is to grow into a world-class eco-friendly material company by 2030, based on our unique enzyme-based recycling technology and global partnerships.”

Korea Investment Accelerator commented, “DFRN possesses an innovative solution that overcomes the limitations of existing recycling technologies, and rapid growth is expected through collaborations with global fashion and textile companies. We hope they will establish themselves as a leading company in the ESG and eco-friendly sectors.”

DFRN plans to complete the advancement of its discarded clothing resource recovery facilities by the end of this year and maximize process efficiency through AI-based enzyme research and development. Furthermore, by 2028, it aims to establish Asia’s first large-scale commercial biological recycling facility, securing the capacity to recycle over 30,000 tons of discarded clothing annually, and presents a vision to grow into a global Top Tier eco-friendly plastic material company by 2029.