[YONSEI PEOPLE] Ecube Labs CEO Sun-beom Gwon, Electrical Engineering Graduate
연세대학교 홍보팀 / news@yonsei.ac.kr
2016-07-22
Ecube Labs CEO Sun-beom Gwon, Electrical Engineering Graduate
-“Yonsei Nurtures Start-Up Culture”
Yonsei Alumnus and Ecube Labs CEO Sun-beom Gwon has made a name for himself by generating more than 1 billion Korean won in sales even before graduating in February. Ecube Labs, which Gwon founded in 2011, makes products for integrated waste management which are popular in Korea and overseas.
Frustrated by his experiences working as an entry-level employee while an undergraduate, Gwon decided to create his own company, one that would go beyond profit-making and contribute to society. The idea for Ecube Labs came from observing garbage cans in the street overflowing with trash; this motivated him to “find a way to automatically press or compact garbage.” Starting with a blueprint, Gwon visited several engineering alleys in the Cheonggyecheon, which led to the development of a first prototype.
“Clean Cube” Trash Disposal Increases Efficiency Using Solar Power to Compact Trash
Ecube Labs’ trash can, the “Clean Cube”, uses solar power to compact trash. The Clean Cube is equipped with a monitor that reports on the fill-level, which allows for the optimization of the schedules and routes of sanitation workers. With its compacting technology, Clean Cube significantly reduces the volume of waste, while saving money on disposal costs due to its use of solar power.
After bringing in over 1 billion won in sales last year, the preorders for this year already top 6 billion won. Speaking of Ecube Labs’s upcoming launch in the U.S., Gwon said: “The United States market is very active in investing. The garbage market there is attractive because the size is very vast.” He also mentioned his future goals of expanding the company in the U.S. and going public with it.
Ecube Labs received support from Yonsei Enterprise Support Foundation in 2011, for which Gwon is grateful: “Yonsei University nurtures student start-ups. There are various administrative channels of support and awareness for the students to explore start-ups. The best support students could receive is to have this kind of atmosphere and support. Furthermore, there are several how-to seminars to show students the detailed steps so that they can feel more confident and empowered to explore start-up ideas.” Gwon offered his advice to budding entrepreneurs at Yonsei: “There is nothing for you to lose at this stage of life. If you have start-up ideas, you should undertake the challenge.”