Korea produces 30% of global EV batteries yet lacks a trusted system to certify retired battery health and maximize second-life value, causing most to be discarded prematurely. With the EU Battery Regulation mandating digital passports from 2027 and Korea’s Resource Circulation Act revisions, the timing is perfect. This system integrates with manufacturers’ ERP to automatically record, certify, and connect batteries with buyers, solving waste issues and realizing circular economy.
Why This Idea
After electric vehicle batteries reach end of life, there is no objective way to evaluate their condition, causing both manufacturers and buyers to miss high-value reuse opportunities. Batteries from Korea’s LG Energy Solution, SK On, and Samsung SDI will retire in massive volumes by 2027–2028, yet current processes are completely fragmented with no trusted records. As a result, valuable batteries are sent to simple recycling or disposal, increasing resource waste and carbon emissions. The EU Battery Regulation mandating digital product passports from 2027, combined with Korea strengthening its Resource Circulation Act, creates powerful regulatory tailwinds. Korean battery-related startup investment tripled to $380 million in 2024 from 2022, while global battery tech investment reached $2.1 billion in the first half of 2025 alone. Incumbents focus only on recycling, leaving almost no software platforms that connect health certification with reuse trading — making now the perfect time to seize the market. Service Planner & PM (problem definition, user scenario design, MVP scoping and metrics), Backend Engineer (architecture, API design, data modeling, authentication and DevOps), Frontend Engineer (React dashboard and component architecture, performance optimization), Freelance Full-stack Software Engineer (end-to-end MVP development and legacy ERP integration), UI Engineer (responsive and accessible certification UI publishing).
Why This Problem Must Be Solved
Korea accounts for approximately 30% of global electric vehicle battery production, yet there are almost no ways to objectively prove battery condition after retirement. Existing processes are fragmented by manufacturer, with documents and sensor data managed separately, making it difficult for buyers to trust them. According to BloombergNEF and IDTechEx, massive retirement volumes will begin from 2027–2028, but most will go to simple recycling, causing enormous value loss. Companies like Redwood Materials and SungEel focus only on recycling and fail to properly connect to the higher-value second-life market (stationary storage, etc.). Korean SME suppliers struggle with Douzone and Younglimwon ERP systems and Korean/Chinese data that Western tools completely fail to handle. As a result, companies are exposed to falling ESG scores and regulatory violation risks, while resource waste and unnecessary carbon emissions continue. The EU CBAM and Battery Regulation will be fully enforced from 2026–2027, posing real threats to Korean exporters. Without trusted digital certification records, transactions themselves cannot be completed.
Why Now Is the Right Time
From 2027 the EU Battery Regulation will mandate digital product passports, while Korea’s revised Resource Circulation Act sets second-life usage targets, causing a rapid regulatory shift. Korean battery-related startup investment reached $380 million in 2024, more than triple the $110 million of 2022. Global battery technology investment alone hit $2.1 billion in the first half of 2025, showing strong momentum. Most existing solutions are enterprise-only or hardware/recycling-centric, ignoring the reality of Korean SME supply chains (Douzone ERP integration, Hangul/Chinese support, end-to-end supplier data collection). The SparkLabs KSGC program allows simultaneous pursuit of government grants (TIPS, Deep Tech Startup 1000) and global expansion. VC interest in deep tech has risen as seen in Anthropic’s bio acquisition, yet the battery circularity software sector remains early-stage. Given Korea’s strong position in the battery supply chain, domestic validation can quickly lead to expansion into Southeast Asia and Europe.
The Change This Creates
When a manufacturer registers a retired battery, the system automatically evaluates its condition based on sensor data and usage history and issues a digital certificate. Using blockchain it creates an immutable battery passport and suggests optimal remaining uses (home storage, overseas industrial applications, etc.). Buyers can check certificates and prices on a web dashboard and trade securely. Manufacturers move from managing scattered Excel files and phone calls to seeing all battery conditions and transaction status in real time on one screen. Service planners work with backend and frontend engineers to start with ERP integration modules and gradually expand the certification and matching engine. Users no longer need to study complex regulations — the system automatically generates reports compliant with CBAM and EU rules. Ultimately it can more than double average battery lifespan and drastically reduce waste, contributing to carbon reduction across manufacturing. The product vision is ’the trust infrastructure that makes invisible battery value visible.'
Why This Approach Works
Global carbon tools like Persefoni and Watershed target large enterprises and cannot automatically collect data from Korean ERP and supply chains. SungEel and Redwood Materials focus on recycling hardware and leave the second-life value maximization market empty. We provide last-mile integration with Douzone and Younglimwon ERP, reducing data collection costs by over 70%. Our independent certification model combining W3C Verifiable Credentials and blockchain builds trust and creates network effects. As more manufacturers and buyers participate, data accuracy and matching success rates increase in a virtuous cycle. Regulatory intelligence specialized for Korean supply chains and a Hangul-native interface create a moat hard for overseas players to replicate. Using the SparkLabs KSGC program we can validate the product with initial government grants and rapidly accumulate global regulatory knowledge. Contracts with early customers (Samsung SDI suppliers, etc.) become powerful barriers against later competitors.
How Far This Can Go
The global EV battery second-life and passport market TAM is projected at $23–37 billion by 2030, with Korea’s addressable SAM at $2.8–4.1 billion. Initial SOM starts at around $40 million within the supply chains of major Korean battery makers and can scale to $200 million within three years. Phase one generates revenue via ERP-linked certification service in Korea; phase two expands to Southeast Asian battery production bases in Vietnam and Indonesia. Phase three enters Europe and North America combining IRA tax credits with EU compliance services. A potential pivot is expanding the same technology to digital product passports for other items such as solar panels and industrial motors. The long-term vision is to become the trust infrastructure proving carbon and resource circularity across global supply chains. Upon success, strategic acquirers (major battery makers, Siemens, Schneider Electric) could offer high-valuation exits, or the platform could evolve into an exchange linked to global carbon markets. Riding the ₩1.2 trillion deep tech investment wave with government grants enables highly capital-efficient early growth.
Service Flow
graph TD
A[배터리 제조사] --> B[퇴역 배터리 등록 및 센서 데이터 업로드]
B --> C[상태 자동 평가 및 남은 수명 예측]
C --> D[블록체인 기반 디지털 인증서 생성]
D --> E[재사용 거래 시장에 등록]
E --> F[구매자 매칭 및 안전 거래 완료]
Business Model
graph TD
A[배터리 제조 기업] -->|연간 구독료| G[인증 및 거래 플랫폼]
H[2차 수명 구매 기업] -->|거래 수수료| G
G -->|규정 준수 보고서 및 인증서| A
G -->|인증된 배터리 정보| H
I[정부 및 규제 기관] -->|데이터 공유 및 그랜트| G
Tags: 배터리 순환, 제품 인증, 공급망 추적, 규제 준수