EcoPro BM (247540.KQ), a cathode material manufacturer, returned to annual profitability last year, driven by recovery in cathode material sales for European electric vehicles. As interest in humanoid robots grows and ternary battery competitiveness gains renewed attention, EcoPro BM plans to accelerate technology advancement to capture future markets, including all-solid-state battery material technology.
EcoPro BM reported consolidated revenue of 2.53 trillion won ($1.8 billion) and operating profit of 142.8 billion won for 2025, the company said Wednesday. While revenue declined 8% from the previous year's 2.77 trillion won, operating profit turned positive.
The profitability improvement resulted from Indonesia investment gains and recovery in cathode material sales for European EVs in the fourth quarter of last year. EcoPro BM acquired a 10% stake in PT ESG smelter as part of a group-level investment in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) smelter, generating investment returns. Additionally, fourth-quarter cathode material sales for EVs reached 308.8 billion won, up 4% from the previous quarter.
EcoPro BM plans to accelerate its global market expansion starting this year. The company's cathode material plant in Debrecen, Hungary will begin commercial production in the first half of this year. The company aims to expand its European market share by responding quickly to local customer demand and securing cost competitiveness through logistics cost reductions.
The company also plans to diversify its product portfolio from premium to budget segments to address broader potential demand. To achieve this, EcoPro BM will accelerate development of materials for low- to mid-priced EVs and all-solid-state battery materials, which are gaining attention due to the expanding robot market. The company is currently operating a pilot plant for solid electrolyte, a core material for all-solid-state batteries, and conducting quality verification with customers.
"With the start of commercial production at our Hungary plant, we plan to accelerate efforts to secure major European automakers as customers," CEO Kim Jang-woo said. "We plan to increase investment in developing future battery materials for applications such as robots."
