KIST Alumnus, Founder, Establishes Business After 18 Years of Research… Headquarters Relocation and Factory Construction Begins with Daegu-type TIPS

[Korea's first LFP battery specialist, Remplir (CEO: Kim Su-jin, pictured), has relocated its headquarters to Daegu and is targeting the domestic market based on its technological prowess and collaborative ecosystem. By Koo Min-soo

Remplir, Korea's first LFP battery specialist, has relocated its headquarters to Daegu, drawing attention as an innovative company growing alongside the local community. This relocation was made possible with support from the Daegu-type TIPS (Teleinvestment-led Technology Incubation Program) and is expected to lead to the commencement of construction of the Daegu factory. CEO Kim Su-jin, who leads the company, is an expert in LFP battery research at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) since 2005. In 2017, he founded a battery materials company in China, pursuing technology commercialization. Sensing the rapidly expanding secondary battery market following Tesla's entry into Korea in 2018, he returned to Korea and founded Remplir in 2019.

LFP batteries are widely used in diverse industries, including ships, aircraft, construction, and agricultural machinery. Recently, demand has also been rapidly increasing in the energy storage system (ESS) sector. They offer lower prices, longer lifespans, and a lower risk of fire compared to existing nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) batteries. However, the LFP market has long been dominated by China, leading to high barriers to entry for Korean companies and a perceived lack of competition in terms of price and technology.

Remplir is attracting attention for its eco-friendly manufacturing methods, which reduce costs and enhance energy density. CEO Kim explained, "We can now supply higher-quality products at the same price as Chinese products." Remplir recently completed construction of a state-of-the-art automated production plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, and has begun full-scale mass production. Currently, it has an annual production capacity of approximately 200,000 cells and plans to diversify its product line by the end of this year.

Rempliir, a participant in the Daegu TIPS program, has naturally established a collaborative ecosystem with promising local companies. Particularly noteworthy is its collaboration with Hucon, a battery management system (BMS) specialist. The two companies, housed in adjacent spaces in the same building, fostered a synergistic, collaborative R&D environment. CEO Kim stated, "Thanks to our collaboration with Hucon, we were able to design a BMS optimized for LFP batteries. They are the only partner in Korea with the expertise to design functional safety." He also offered valuable advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. "Starting a business is never easy.

In particular, in an industry dominated by large corporations, startups need exceptional determination and execution skills to survive. Rather than investing extensive time and resources in research, we must focus on products and technologies that can be readily applied in everyday life to attract investor interest and achieve rapid growth."

※Daegu TIPS (Telecommunications Incubation Program for Private Investment-led Technology Startups)