Dr. Oregonin, a faculty startup from Kangwon National University (CEO Choi Sun-eun), recently secured investment through the "Investment Capacity Building" program jointly organized by 30 Bridge Project teams and the Korea Angel Investment Association. The signing ceremony is scheduled to take place on November 6 at the 2024 Industry-Academia Cooperation Expo held in BEXCO, Busan.
Founded in 2022 by Choi Sun-eun, a professor in the Department of Forest Bio-material Engineering, Dr. Oregonin specializes in developing natural functional materials that simultaneously address muscle loss and obesity, a world-first innovation.
The company’s natural ingredients, extracted from native Korean trees such as alder, azalea, and elm, demonstrate performance up to 400% higher than existing anti-obesity materials. Specifically, they show over 40% improved fat differentiation inhibition, up to 16% increased muscle cell survival, and up to 17.6% enhanced muscle cell protection against damage.
These effects in improving muscle loss and atrophy are being further validated through human application trials, with contracts underway with a Contract Research Organization (CRO).
Dr. Oregonin’s products have already gained recognition overseas. In 2023, the company secured a $1 million supply contract at Vietnam's MEGA-US exhibition and another $1 million contract at the Vietfood & Beverage/ProPack exhibition. In 2024, the company signed additional supply contracts worth $400,000 at the Mongolia International Beauty & Health Expo and $4.5 million at the Vietnam International Premium Consumer Goods Fair, showcasing its technical and commercial competitiveness.
Notably, Dr. Oregonin aims to expand beyond functional products into the therapeutic market. With domestic and international patents for muscle enhancement and fat breakdown technologies, the company plans to launch related pharmaceuticals in the U.S. and Europe starting in 2026.
The emergence of Dr. Oregonin is expected to elevate the competitiveness of Korea’s bio-industry, thanks to the efforts of Kangwon National University’s Bridge Project team. The team supported the commercialization of the groundbreaking technology developed by Professor Choi, which demonstrates remarkable therapeutic effects without causing allergies or side effects. After the startup’s establishment, Kangwon National University's Industry-Academia Cooperation Foundation transferred related patented technologies to the company and provided support in national R&D projects, marketing, and investment acquisition. The recent TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startups) selection is a testament to these efforts.