Batteries have brought me to Korea once again. The last time I was here was just before the COVID lockdown, and now, I’m back—this time in Eumseong, the heartland of Korea’s battery industry—at the factory of JR Energy Solution.
I’ve mentioned JR in my posts before, and there’s an hour-long interview with its founder and CEO, Duke Oh, on my podcast. JR is my client, and I’m thrilled to be helping them scale!
Who is JR Energy Solution?
Founded in 2022, JR Energy Solution is redefining lithium-ion battery manufacturing with a Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) model—think of it as the TSMC of batteries. The company specializes in manufacturing electrodes and pouch cells, serving two key types of clients:
👨🏻🔬 Battery startups looking to scale beyond lab production
🏭 Established players supplying niche customers
A Walk Through the 500 MWh Factory
Spending the morning on the production floor, I got a firsthand look at:
🧪 Multi-chemistry production—how JR keeps its equipment contamination-free while switching between different chemistries for various clients.
✅ Quality control—ensuring uniformity across batches and minimizing scrap.
🌏 Global shipping—specialized packing equipment that safely transports electrodes across the world.
Beyond Manufacturing: A Bridge to Scale
What makes JR unique isn’t just its ability to produce electrodes and cells—it’s how they help battery startups scale. The company connects its clients with Korean equipment and material suppliers and provides hands-on training in electrode and cell manufacturing.
In just one year of operation, JR has already attracted serious attention in Korea and the US. Visits such as this make it all the clearer that Korea is an untapped goldmine for battery scale-up expertise.
If you’re a battery startup looking to scale or an investor exploring cooperation with Korean companies for know-how transfer, let’s talk! 🇰🇷🤝🌍