Bluemagnet Secures Seed Investment Led by KAIST Youth Startup Investment Holdings to Advance Nuclear Waste Treatment Technology

By StartupKorea Business Desk | Jun 08, 2026

Bluemagnet Secures Funding for Innovative Waste Treatment Solutions

Bluemagnet, a startup focused on addressing the challenges of radioactive liquid waste management from nuclear power plants, has successfully completed a seed funding round led by KAIST Youth Startup Investment Holdings. The funds will be utilized to commercialize their proprietary material, NuMagneto, which is designed to enhance the treatment of nuclear waste.

Addressing a Critical Industry Challenge

Founded in 2024, Bluemagnet aims to tackle the significant issue of radioactive waste generated during the operation and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. The radioactive liquid waste contains various isotopes, including cesium (Cs), strontium (Sr), and cobalt (Co), making its safe disposal a critical concern for the nuclear industry. Currently, most nuclear plants rely on ion exchange resins for waste treatment, which often leads to premature saturation and the generation of secondary waste due to their inability to differentiate between radioactive isotopes and regular ions.

To overcome these limitations, Bluemagnet has developed NuMagneto, a novel self-functional material platform. Unlike conventional composites with magnetic particles, NuMagneto is engineered from a Prussian blue-based material that possesses intrinsic magnetic properties. This innovative design allows for the simultaneous removal of cesium, strontium, and cobalt, which can be recovered within seconds using an external magnetic field.

The material's selective adsorption and magnetic recovery capabilities are integrated into a single platform, paving the way for large-scale production. Dr. Ok Hye-jin, co-founder and CTO, has spearheaded the design and development of NuMagneto, also introducing a unique OHL-IMS process to establish a scalable production system. This technology aims to reduce the radioactive concentration in nuclear waste, extend the lifespan of ion exchange resins, and minimize waste generation and treatment costs.

Global Expansion Plans

Bluemagnet is not only focused on domestic applications but is also eyeing global commercialization. In early 2025, the company welcomed COO Lee Kwang-oh, who previously led manufacturing innovation and reliability consulting at DuPont for the Asia-Pacific region. Lee is now overseeing strategies for collaboration with local nuclear companies and expanding into European markets.

Joon-hyun Ahn, an executive at KAIST Youth Startup Investment Holdings, praised Bluemagnet for providing a unique solution to a long-standing problem in the nuclear sector. He highlighted the company's ability to simultaneously eliminate multiple isotopes while establishing a commercially viable mass production process.

Bluemagnet's CEO, Lee Gi-seok, emphasized that NuMagneto represents a groundbreaking platform technology that integrates multi-isotope removal and magnetic recovery functionalities. He expressed optimism that the recent seed investment will enable the company to advance domestic nuclear verification projects and accelerate international market entry. Furthermore, the company aims to develop an AI-driven automated processing platform called NuMagnetoSYS in the long run.

Source: Platum. This is an original English briefing based on the cited report.