Startups, VCs explore food waste commercialization at GS forum

GS hosted an open innovation forum on Thursday, bringing together startups, venture capital firms and government agencies to explore ways to turn food waste into usable resources.

The event, jointly organized by GS, GS Ventures and the Greentech Alliance (GTA), was held at GS Tower in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. GTA is an association under the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy set up to support the climate tech startup ecosystem.

Attendees shared business models and technologies spanning the food waste process — from collection and processing through to conversion. The Climate Ministry also outlined its policy direction for converting organic waste, including food waste, into biogas for use in electricity generation and city gas supply.

Once seen mainly as a disposal headache because of its high moisture content and tendency to decompose quickly, food waste is gaining traction as a feedstock for biogas, sustainable aviation fuel and biochemicals, including bioplastics. Supply chain disruptions tied to geopolitical tensions have sharpened interest in securing stable domestic sources of raw materials.

GS has been an early backer of startups working in this space. Its portfolio includes Reco, which runs waste collection management solutions; Triple W, which extracts lactic acid from food waste for use in plastics, detergents and cosmetics; and Alchemika, which offers solutions to enhance productivity at biogas facilities.