Tichaa Johnson Penn, the CEO of EcoLinks, at start-up support center MARU 180 in Seoul's Gangnam District in this February 2021, photo. Courtesy of Tichaa Johnson Penn

By Jung Da-min

Tichaa Johnson Penn, CEO of EcoLinks, a platform for solar energy projects linking investors and constructors, first came to Korea in 2017 as an international student from Cameroon through a Korean government scholarship program.

Johnson said he did not really know much about Korea when he was back in Cameroon, other than the fact that Korea is where Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics come from, or where the FIFA 2002 World Cup was hosted.

"It so happened that I came across an opportunity to apply for a KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)-sponsored Master's degree program and four months later I was on a flight to Incheon," Johnson said in an email interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday.

The 32-year-old startup CEO said he initially had no plan to stay in Korea after completing his studies, but later found several factors that encouraged him to stay here and launch his own business in the green energy sector.

"First of all, I realized the Korean language can be learned. The more I improved my Korean language ability, the more I got to appreciate the culture and the people, as well as develop deeper friendships," Johnson said.

"Secondly, I've always been a tech-lover and Korea is like a tech-paradise on Earth. I saw this opportunity to explore the various technological advancements especially in the renewable energy industry."

Johnson said the most important factor which drew him to launch his own business here was Korea's export-oriented economy where local companies could benefit from partnering with companies like EcoLinks to expand their business overseas.

"It was this precise point that tilted the balance in favor of me staying in Korea with the ambition of creating a global business powered by the technological innovation and export drive of South Korea," Johnson said.

Tichaa Johnson Penn, the CEO of EcoLinks, at the Korea International Renewable Energy Conference (KIREC Seoul 2019), at COEX in Seoul's Gangnam District, in this Oct. 25, 2019, photo. Courtesy of Tichaa Johnson Penn

Launched in May 2020, EcoLinks has mainly focused on solar energy projects by offering a platform for investors and builders to find business partners, while overseeing and managing such projects from the stage of financing to construction and maintenance.

Johnson said he especially wanted to help developing countries, where many people still do not have access to electricity, to build their own energy infrastructure.

"Although launching EcoLinks with a focus on solar, our goal for EcoLinks is for the company to become a prominent protagonist in the net-zero carbon emission scheme by engaging in various eco-friendly and carbon emission reduction business initiatives," Johnson said.

"As a Korea-based company, we also aim at facilitating technology and knowledge exchanges between Korea and the developing countries we operate in, as well as enable Korean investments into eco-friendly businesses. Our actions all converge towards our overarching vision of a world where local economies and people can achieve sustainable progress in harmony with the environment," he said.

Johnson said that Korea has a dynamic start-up ecosystem with various programs for support and funding from the government.

For EcoLinks, it was among the 53 companies selected by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, or KOTRA, in late January, for a government support program called, "Global Jump 300," to help local startups to enter the global market.

Through the program, EcoLinks is aiming to enter the energy industry market in Ghana and Brazil this year.