NYA FOUNDER SPOTLIGHT ‒ EUNICE BUYN, MATERIAL CO-FOUNDER & CEO
Eunice Byun, Co-Founder and CEO of Material, launched the company to create beautifully designed kitchen essentials that are made for everyday but built to last a lifetime. In this interview, Eunice shares why it’s important to have diversity of investors across the cap table, why fundraising is like kissing a lot of frogs, and how Material has stayed true to its core over the last seven years.
How did you first meet New York Angels?
We met New York Angels through Bruce Kaminstein. I believe we were introduced to Bruce through one of our investors who comes from the sourcing world. Bruce has been an incredible investor, mentor, and advisor to us. Bruce connected us with NYA after learning more about our story and hearing what we were looking for in investors, as well as understanding the nature of our round.
What was the fundraising process like for you?
Fundraising is never a dull moment! As a founder, you realize it’s both a mental and strategic game. You have to ensure that you’re talking to the right people, having the right conversations, and spending your time wisely – because every minute you’re fundraising, you’re spending a minute away from running your business.
I always think about fundraising in sprints, making sure I’m efficient and effective. I leverage my networks – both professional and personal – and also give myself space to stay engaged with my team and keep the business on track.
It’s also a little bit like kissing a lot of frogs. Some investors will understand the type of business you’re building, and others won’t. The key is to be able to align on what the future looks like. For us, being an operationally sound business, being on the path to profitability, and showing that we could be profitable attracted a different set of investors. It’s important to know what you're looking for and not just take any check that comes your way.
What were you looking for in investors when you were fundraising, and why did you choose to work with New York Angels?
As the company has evolved, we’ve become smarter about how we think about our investor community. When we first raised a pre-seed round, we mainly focused on funds. As we grew and experienced the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, we realized that having diversity of investors across our cap table was really important.
We recognized that having investors who had been in our shoes – who had operated businesses and understood not just strategic questions but also the nitty-gritty tactical ones – was invaluable. Our investors have helped us with questions like: How do you negotiate with a factory partner? How do you approach a particular retailer? We found that kind of insight really lived within the angel investor community. They’ve lived and breathed the same air as us, and that’s what drew us to New York Angels.
What have you enjoyed most about working with New York Angels?
I love how passionate angel investors are. Startups go through so much – not just at an individual company level, but at a macro level. Since we launched in 2018, we’ve navigated a global pandemic; major changes in the local, state and federal government; inflation; and now we’re back to dealing with tariffs. I love that angel investors are often the ones who raise their hands and say, “Oh, I’ve been there! Let’s grab lunch or coffee and I can share what I did with my company during that period.” Angels often proactively offer help. As a founder, you can sometimes feel like you’re in an echo chamber, so having investors who preemptively know how to add value in a meaningful way is priceless.
We’ve met so many incredible investors through New York Angels. I always find it amazing to learn their stories because – even if they’re in totally different industries – I can see parallels in the challenges we’re facing as founders.
What advice would you give other founders who are looking to fundraise?
One thing I learned is that fundraising isn’t just an “on or off” mode. You’re not just in fundraising mode, then out of it. I’ve realized that it’s important to continually maintain some level of communication with investors.
We have had some investors say no to us the first time, but through ongoing communication, they later ended up investing in subsequent rounds. When we stayed in touch with them – keeping them updated and showing them that we were executing on what we said we would do.
The key is to stay “always on.” That doesn’t mean you’re always pitching, but you’re continuously nurturing relationships. It’s much harder to start a relationship from a cold spot, so keeping an open line of communication is really important.
What advice would you give other early-stage investors who are looking to invest in companies?
It all comes down to partnership. Founders have blind spots because they’re juggling a million things at once. I really appreciate it when investors proactively share insights. For example, if they know we’re launching at a retailer like The Container Store, they’ll offer advice from their own experience.
I also appreciate when investors are mindful of time. As an entrepreneur, there’s not always enough time. When investors say, “Hey, I’d love to talk to you about this specific issue because I think I can help,” it goes a long way. The best investors are those who are purposeful about how they support the team and the business.
What has driven Material’s success?
I love this question! It made me reflect on what has helped us surpass the five-year mark - a milestone many startups struggle with. We’re about to enter our seventh year, and I think it all comes down to our vision and values. We are at the very core the same company we were when we started. We are design-focused, sustainably driven, and innovation-led. Those values haven’t changed from the early days when it was just me and my co-founder in a little shared workspace, trying to figure out what Material would become.
Have our strategies shifted? Absolutely. Have we hit speed bumps? 100%. But how we show up – our commitment and the value we bring to our team, our partners, and our customers – has been the same since day one.
How does Material go beyond the kitchen?
One thing that’s really important to me – and to Material – is community. My co-founder and I wrote down our company’s manifesto on day one, and one of the key values was: Don’t wait for success to give back. Many companies wait until they’ve “made it” to start giving back, but we believed in doing it from the start.
That’s why we’ve built community giving into our DNA. We’ve developed long-term partnerships with organizations like Heart of Dinner, and every year we run a campaign called Kinder Kitchens. Over the years, we’ve donated nearly $200,000 – working alongside our customers to support incredible causes in our community we care about.
What motivates you?
After Lunar New Year, I reflected on this a lot. Lunar New Year is a time to honor our elders and family, and for me, my motivation comes from seeing the hard work my parents put in when they immigrated from Korea.
They were never the stereotypical parents who said, “You have to go into this field.” Instead, they prioritized happiness – finding something you love and doing it well. That has stuck with me throughout my career. I’ve taken a less traditional, more nomadic professional path, but my parents' values – showing up, working hard, and doing what you love – have stayed with me.
