[Valuable Intellectual Property] The 'Brave Engineering Student' Who Created a Patented Sanitary Pad

Challenge in the Feminine Products Market by 'Innersia'
Four KAIST Scientists Unite
Developing Healthy and Safe Sanitary Pad Materials

"I think the expression 'brave engineering student' fits better than 'female inventor.' There are many great inventions in the world, but people who can turn them into businesses are rare."

Four young engineering students have thrown down the gauntlet in the women's products market, where marketing and brand competition are fiercer than science and technology. They launched a sanitary pad made from eco-friendly biodegradable materials without microplastics, while enhancing absorbency.

To create a product that never existed before, female scientists who are KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) bachelor’s and master’s graduates and former ambassadors promoting their alma mater came together. After a year of research, development, and clinical trials, they developed a product they could confidently recommend to friends and family. This is the story of the startup 'Innersia,' founded in July 2022.

In an interview with Asia Economy, Kim Hyo-i, CEO of Innersia, said, "Investors we met early in the startup phase gave us many cautious pieces of advice." Most of them said that no matter how good the technology is, the sanitary pad market should not be underestimated. As the OEM structure became common, the battle shifted from technology to marketing and design, and the quality of domestic products also became uniformly high.

However, CEO Kim believed there would definitely be customers who recognize safe and healthy materials. During the 2017 sanitary pad controversy, there were safety concerns about sanitary pads containing microplastic absorbents, but the issue had not been technically resolved. Kim said, "It was shocking that a product that must be in close contact with the body for a long time had not changed until now." She added, "According to survey results, 4 out of 10 people recently switched to a new sanitary pad brand," and "We judged that there is no brand that clearly satisfies consumers."

Innersia produced about 350 samples of sanitary pad materials to test absorbency, and as a result, succeeded in creating the world's first eco-friendly absorbent 'Cellatex' without adding harmful chemicals. Last year, they achieved mass production of 100% organic sanitary pads, registered domestic patents, and filed overseas patents (PCT). They completed clinical evaluation by Germany’s Dermatest and received approval from the U.S. FDA. Although there were no easy tasks such as approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and competition from rivals, their efforts were recognized by those around them.

Innersia was selected as a Samsung Electronics C-Lab nurturing company in January, receiving 100 million KRW in support funds and moving into an office in Umyeon-dong, Seoul. They were also selected for the government’s TIPS program. TIPS, operated by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, is a program where if the private sector invests in a company, the government supports up to 700 million KRW for R&D and commercialization funds. They are supported in launching overseas markets on Amazon, and Innersia products are provided as amenities at SM Entertainment and Paradise City Hotel.

Before starting the business, Kim was well aware of the importance of intellectual property (IP) management. She said, "We worked hard on building a patent portfolio. We divided and filed three patents and put a lot of effort into embedding our technology into the patents." She also said, "Since undergraduate days, I learned that 'all research results should lead to patents,'" adding, "Intellectual property education was included in the mandatory courses required for graduation."

A distinctive feature of Innersia is that all four co-founders, including CEO Kim, are developing their own product lines. Although they spend their youthful days working overnight on the startup front, none of them complain. Kim said, "We all live surrounded by countless chemicals from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep," and "We will continue to carry out our determination to change daily life with safe and healthy materials."

Kim, who graduated from a science high school, has extensive experience participating in invention competitions. As a high school student, she even created a 'bendable multi-tap' using recycled materials. However, she said she wants to be called a 'brave engineering student' rather than a female inventor. She explained that going beyond invention to making prototypes, building a brand, and running a company is a completely different realm.

"Among the concerns women have, there are many that could be Nobel Prize-worthy if solved. But it takes a very long time from starting serious research to launching a product that changes our lives. I want to remain someone who steps out of the lab and takes foolish but brave challenges."