AUTOMOTIVE
Global top-five automotive supplier
$30K
Paid proof-of-concept order
LOI · PO · VENDOR REGISTEREDCustomer name withheld under NDA. PO issued; receipt and completion not asserted.
Our mission
Making the world's molded plastics one-third lighter.
Etat'H Solide (에타솔리드) makes injection-molded plastic parts lighter. EcoFoam replaces part of the plastic with dissolved nitrogen. EcoMold heats the mold surface for a clean finish. Both are designed for the injection machines factories already run.
Accelerator and university programs
Evidence
The numbers so far.
Etat'H Solide's case rests on three numbers: a KTR specimen test, an internal gloss benchmark and an illustrative line scenario. Each one shows its source.
−34.3%
Specimen density, 0.99 → 0.65 g/cm³
73% of Izod impact strength retained
KTR specimen test, 17 Jul 2025
+25.3%
Surface gloss on ABS, 83 → 104 GU
A separate test from the density result
Company internal ABS benchmark
$257K
Potential savings per line, per year
Resin, finishing and cycle savings combined
Illustrative application scenario · company model
01Why now
Resin drives cost.
Resin is usually the largest single cost in a molded part, and its price has turned volatile. A lighter part cuts that cost at the source.
~$300B
Global injection-molding market, 2025
2025 estimates vary by publisher and scope: Grand View Research $312.7B; Fortune Business Insights $318.8B; Precedence Research $358.7B.
30–50%
Typical resin share of part cost, higher in thin-wall packaging
Industry estimates (RJC Mold; Boothroyd Dewhurst DFMA; ENGEL for thin-wall packaging, as a share of total cost of ownership). Varies by part.
+23%
U.S. thermoplastic-resin prices, Jan → May 2026
U.S. BLS producer price index WPU0662 (via FRED), Jan–May 2026, preliminary.
Weight matters beyond material cost.
A 10% reduction in vehicle weight can improve fuel economy by 6–8%.
U.S. Department of EnergyEach extra 100 kg adds about 0.6 kWh per 100 km to an electric passenger car's energy use.
Weiss et al., Environmental Sciences Europe, 2020The average North American light vehicle contains 428 lb (194 kg) of plastics.
American Chemistry Council, 2025 dataEurope's packaging regulation has applied since August 2026; by 2030, packaging must be cut to the minimum weight and volume necessary.
Regulation (EU) 2025/40The UK taxes plastic packaging with under 30% recycled content at £228.82 per tonne.
HMRC, from April 2026
02The trade-off
Lighter parts. New problems.
Gas foaming removes resin, but it has long brought three costs that slow adoption.
Streaked surfaces
Gas bubbles that reach the cold mold wall smear into silver swirl marks, and fixing them adds finishing steps.
Wang et al., Polymer Engineering & Science, 2015
Modest savings
~5–12%
Foam molding typically saves about 5–12% of resin when the part design stays unchanged.
Vendor-reported (Trexel; Wittmann Battenfeld), unchanged part designs
Hard to adopt
New equipment or a modified tool triggers customer re-approval, which slows rollout in automotive supply chains.
AIAG PPAP practice under IATF 16949
03The solution
Lighter parts. Clean surface. Existing lines.
The solution is two process modules, EcoFoam and EcoMold, designed to let a part lose resin while keeping its finish.
EcoFoam
Nitrogen foaming
Doses high-pressure nitrogen that dissolves into the melt, replacing part of the plastic with microscopic gas cells.
EcoMold
Mold-surface heat & cool
Heats the mold surface while the part fills, then cools it fast, so a smooth skin forms over the foamed core.
Line integration
Recipe + validation
Gas, temperature and pressure conditions are set for each part, then verified on the customer's own part.
04How it works
Light inside. Clean outside.
EcoFoam and EcoMold add three steps to a standard injection cycle.
Light inside. Clean outside.
- 01
Precise gas control
Nitrogen is metered into the melt and dissolves under pressure.
- 02
Small, even cells
As the melt enters the mold, the pressure drop forms countless micrometre-scale cells.
- 03
Heated surface
EcoMold keeps the mold surface hot while it fills, then cools it fast, so the skin sets smooth.
05Traction
Global manufacturers are putting it to the test.
Etat'H Solide has a paid proof-of-concept order from a global top-five automotive supplier and a selection for a packaging proof of concept.
FOOD & PACKAGINGNestlé
Selected Etat'H Solide for a packaging proof of concept
CONFIRMED 29 SEP 2026Scope and commercial terms to follow.
STRATEGIC PROGRAMPOSCO IMP
Advanced to final due diligence in POSCO's IMP startup program
Final selection pending.
ACCELERATORAlchemist Chicago
Selected from about 400 applicants for the inaugural cohort, then advanced to Class 41
06The film
Etat'H Solide in three minutes.
A 3-minute 20-second film covers the cost problem, the technology, the evidence, traction and the plan.
English captions. Korean subtitles available.
07FAQ
Questions, answered.
Etat'H Solide (에타솔리드) makes injection-molded plastic parts lighter. Its EcoFoam module replaces part of the plastic with dissolved nitrogen, and its EcoMold module heats the mold surface for a clean finish on foamed parts. Both are designed for the injection machines factories already run. The company was founded in Korea in 2023 and has a U.S. parent in Delaware.
They are designed to: both modules target the injection machines factories already run. Etat'H Solide supplies the EcoFoam injection unit and EcoMold equipment for installation on suitable customer-owned machines, and EcoMold needs a mold built or adapted for surface heating. Press, mold, interface and safety compatibility are assessed for each application, so configuration varies by part.
In a KTR specimen test in July 2025, EcoFoam cut specimen density by 34.3%, from 0.99 to 0.65 g/cm³. That is a specimen result, not a finished-part weight saving. Real reductions depend on part geometry, resin and wall thickness, and long, thin parts typically save less. The proof-of-concept programs will test it on production parts.
Put EcoFoam and EcoMold to work on your part.
Paid trials start with one part on one line. Write to the founder to scope a proof of concept or to request investor materials.
Damian Kang, Founder & CEO