The food-tech startup, which was established in 2024, makes mushroom mycelium-based through a precision fermentation process.
CEO Jung Jihyun said the firm’s overarching goal is to promote mushrooms as a staple food source and expand their functional use.
“We’re called Mush& because it represents the possibilities of mushroom mycelium. We’re using mycelium to create sustainable food materials, and we operate B2B. Our end products focus on probiotics, alternative meats and dairy, as well as animal feed,” Jung told AgTechNavigator.
The company creates strains from high-value Asian mushrooms, such as shiitake, reiishi, and cordyceps, which it cultivates in an eight-metre unit that takes up 50 square metres.
“We currently have 25 strains – all oriental mushroom strains. Among them, we have eight strains with approval from Korea FDA. We are producing and supplying these materials as high functional mycelium,” said Jung.
The mycelium is produced in a vertical set up of the startups own design, said Jung.
Preventing a mad challenge
However, Jung told us that its views a major opportunity in animal feed, especially among browsing and grazing ungulates.
In particular, its cordyceps strain has been found to prevent bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), most commonly known as mad cow disease.
“We want to produce this mycelium in bulk, so we are looking for a feed company that wants to adopt this. We have done immunity and efficacy tests through Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI). Moving forward, we want to do animal tests,” said Jung.
The illness is fatal and has cost economies billions. At present there is no known treatment or cure for BSE.
Cordyceps is particularly well regarded in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is used widely in soups and tonics in many parts of Asia today.
The company has already collaborated with a South Korean pet food company to develop products with its mycelium-based protein which can boost pet immunity.
In its first year, the company brought in around U$200,000 in revenue but is looking to cross the U$2m mark “soon” said Jung.
Mush& was one of the 10 finalists of the Future Food Asia awards this year in Singapore, where it is aiming to expand to.
“We’ve met a lot of talent and seen institutes in Singapore dedicated to the sustainable food sector. We are hoping to incorporate here and expand globally from here. Because there’s a lot of diversity. I feel like this is a hub among the APAC region,” said Jung.
