ABR Beats 22 Companies to Win Startup World Cup Korea Selection

On the 25th, ABR, leading with its innovative direct battery recycling technology, overwhelmingly took first place at the 'Startup World Cup 2025 KOREA FINAL,' earning the honor of representing South Korea. In this competition, co-hosted by POSCO Holdings, Gangnam-gu, and the Korea Angel Investment Association, where 22 promising startups from across the nation competed, ABR captivated the judges with its unique technological prowess. The technology presented by ABR is a 'direct recycling' method that reuses scrap generated during the battery manufacturing process. This fundamentally differs from the existing method, which uses high-temperature calcination and chemical solvents, a complicated and environmentally burdensome approach. ABR developed an eco-friendly technology that utilizes only ultrapure water and physical methods to fully preserve the crystal structure of cathode materials. This innovative process not only completely eliminates the generation of harmful wastewater and significantly reduces carbon emissions but also maximizes energy efficiency through low-temperature and low-pressure processes, successfully securing high-purity reusable materials. Currently, ABR is successfully operating a commercialization process with a capacity of 1 ton per day and 200 tons per year, proving the feasibility of its technology. ABR's technology is already receiving strong interest in the global market. It is expanding its global partnerships by collaborating with world-leading companies such as PowerCo, Volkswagen's battery manufacturer in Germany, and Exide Energy, Hyundai Motor's battery supplier in India. Behind these brilliant achievements of ABR was the full support of the Chungnam Center for Creative Economy & Innovation. Since discovering ABR as part of the 'CHANGeUP NAVIgation Batch 4,' the Center has provided comprehensive support, including acceleration, direct investment, recommendation and selection for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' TIPS program, residency at Chungnam Startup Maru NAVI, and GMEP support. An official from the Chungnam Innovation Center stated, "We are very proud that a company discovered and directly invested in by the Center is receiving attention on the global stage," and added that they would continue to support startups in the Chungnam region to develop global competitiveness. Now, ABR will proudly participate as the Korean representative in the 'Global Grand Final,' to be held from October 15th to 17th at the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco, USA. It remains to be seen what new horizons ABR's unique eco-friendly battery recycling technology will open on the global stage, and its trajectory is drawing attention. The moment is anticipated when the power of South Korean startups and ABR's challenge towards a sustainable future will resonate worldwide.