Crayon is a startup that produces and sells building materials using waste fabric. CEO Jeong Rae-jun and Director Lee Seon-young co-founded the company in August 2024. CEO Jeong is an expert in the building materials field, while Director Lee has worked in the clothing manufacturing industry focusing on research and development. The fact that CEO Jeong's father is in the business of distributing building materials and Director Lee's father is in the business of producing and developing building materials also helped the business.
CEO Jeong said, "Growing up in the building materials industry from a young age had an impact on me," adding that it led to the opportunity to engage in an environmentally friendly building materials business.
Crayon recently succeeded in developing building materials made from sports functional waste clothing. CEO Jeong stated, "Sports clothing is highly functional, featuring excellent durability and waterproofing," and explained, "We utilized discarded sports clothing to create tiles and boards as building materials, and we are currently working on interior designs for restaurants, Pilates studios, and gyms."
The strength of Crayon's building materials lies in their design. Custom orders can be made in desired colors and shapes, allowing for personalized designs for each customer. Ease of installation is also a strength of Crayon. CEO Jeong mentioned, "Customers who can install tiles and wooden materials can do so easily."
Crayon's main customers are diverse, including restaurants and sports facilities. Recently, they supplied building materials to high-end restaurants, including a Michelin restaurant and a lounge in Cheongdam-dong. CEO Jeong noted, "I cannot disclose the names of the restaurants, but we supplied building materials and carried out the interior work for the restaurant of a chef who appeared on the Netflix entertainment program 'Culinary Class Wars.'"
Recognized for its growth potential, Crayon has received 200 million won in investments since its founding and was selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' TIPS program at the end of last year. CEO Jeong stated, "Crayon produces products that not only recycle materials but also possess superior physical properties compared to conventional building materials at reasonable prices."
Crayon is currently pursuing two plans. The first is to develop building materials using waste other than fabric. They have completed the prototype development and plan to launch the product in July or August. The second is strengthening domestic sales and expanding overseas. CEO Jeong emphasized, "We are actively securing customers as well as focusing on research and development, which we concentrated on since the company's inception," and added, "We recently participated in an overseas exhibition and have received purchasing interest from North America and Europe."