'Gravity' Sensation Polyphenol Factory Sees Surge in Hiring... Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon Estimated to Have Participated as a Shareholder

- Chairman Cho Hyun-joon estimated to have participated as a shareholder in a personal capacity around the time of Hyosung Chemical's investment

- Quantum jump from '0 won' in sales in 2023 to 6 billion won in 2024... Forecasting explosive growth in 2025

- Number of employees surged from 4 to 22, business expansion to start in earnest in 2026 with all-around hiring in counseling/customer management, content planning, SNS management, etc.

The bio startup 'Polyphenol Factory', founded by KAIST Endowed Chair Professor Lee Hae-shin, is rapidly expanding its business on the back of the sensational success of its functional shampoo 'Gravity'. In particular, industry attention is focusing as circumstances point to personal investment by Hyosung Group Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, along with recent aggressive talent recruitment.

◇ Did Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon participate in a personal investment with 'common stock'?

According to Pitchdeck, a company specializing in corporate data, it is estimated that Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon participated as a shareholder of Polyphenol Factory.

Polyphenol Factory attracted a 2 billion won Series A investment from Hyosung Chemical in September 2024. Chairman Cho's personal investment appears to have been made around this time. At that time, Hyosung Chemical reportedly invested 2 billion won at a corporate valuation of 10 billion won and secured preferred shares (RCPS, etc.).

Chairman Cho Hyun-joon is understood to have participated with common shares rather than preferred shares, which adds weight to the possibility that he secured the stake at a lower unit price than the preferred shares acquired by Hyosung Chemical.

In fact, CEO Lee Hae-shin had a direct meeting with Chairman Cho Hyun-joon during the investment attraction process, and he previously revealed that Chairman Cho showed a strong will to expand the B2C business at the time, which lends credence to this personal investment rumor.

◇ From 0 won in sales to 6 billion won... Explosive earnings turnaround

Polyphenol Factory's financial scorecard has also achieved a dramatic reversal. The company, which recorded 0 won in sales and 200 million won in operating loss in 2023, succeeded in turning a profit in 2024, when the 'Gravity' shampoo was launched, recording 6 billion won in sales and 1.5 billion won in operating profit.

Gravity shampoo, applied with KAIST's patented ingredient 'LiftMax 308™', caused a stockout crisis, selling out just 109 hours after its launch. Following its participation in the world's largest consumer electronics and IT exhibition 'CES 2026' in early 2025, its technology was recognized in the global market as well, with North American Amazon sales surging more than 10 times and continuing its sold-out streak on major domestic channels.

◇ "Number of employees from 4 to 22"... Hiring rush for a great leap forward in 2026

In step with its steep earnings growth, the size of the organization is also growing rapidly. The number of Polyphenol Factory employees, which was only 4 as of December 2023, surged more than fivefold in two years to 22 as of December 2025.

What is notable is the change in hiring roles. While the initial focus was on research and product development personnel, from the end of 2025, it was found that the company has been hiring a large number of roles related to customer touchpoints (CS) and brand marketing, such as ▲SNS marketing ▲counseling (online, complaints, phone) ▲public relations ▲cafe/blog management ▲media management. This is interpreted as the company's intention to go beyond simple product sales and accelerate growth by building a full-scale brand expansion and customer management system starting in 2026.

Polyphenol Factory is already systematizing its organization by recruiting talent for subdivided jobs such as consumer goods, promotions, and corporate public relations as well as SNS marketing in its past hiring plan for the first quarter of 2026.

Although the settlement figures for sales and operating profit in 2025 have not yet been released, considering the continuous sold-out streak of 'Gravity' and overseas market performance, it seems that significant earnings growth has been achieved compared to the previous year. Taking into account the recent aggressive hiring frequency and diversified hiring roles, Polyphenol Factory is expected to achieve even greater full-fledged growth in 2026 than it has now.