Korea’s materials startup IDKLAB seeks success with nanofiber technology

Kim Il-doo, professor of materials science and engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).

Demand for nanofiber technology is expected to grow in key industry areas such as display and chips, according to a South Korean materials engineer Kim Il-doo.

“When harmful gas comes into contact with nanofibers, a chemical reaction occurs, causing a change in color, allowing one to confirm the presence of gas leakage,” said Kim, professor of materials science and engineering at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). “It’s like a litmus paper in science experiments.”

Nanofibers are extremely fine fibers with a diameter of tens to hundreds of nanometers (nm). Valves coated with very thin nanofibers can react even to a small gas leak, enabling the assessment of the degree of leakage based on the color change.

Kim anticipated that this technology will be used widely in major domestic display and semiconductor factories as the manufacturing process of displays and semiconductors involves the use of gases with explosive and toxic properties. If hazardous substances leak, it could lead to human casualties.

Kim founded the materials startup IDKLAB and developed a gas leakage sensor called “OBTECT.”

Kim and his team reduced the cost of sensor development by building an electrospinning machine to produce nanofibers on their own.

“We were able to lower cost by making our own mass production equipment, and we also saved money on raw materials because the amount of dye used in the process was less than that of existing equipment,” Kim said.

Founded in 2019, IDKLAB has attracted investments totaling 6.15 billion won ($4.73 million) and received a valuation of over 40 billion won in the investment round.

“POSCO Capital made a financial investment, and domestic mid-sized companies such as HANYANG ENG Co., Gastron Co., and WONIK Corp. participated as strategic investors,” the professor said. “We are also considering going public in two years.”

IDKLAB further expanded its business scope and added a respiratory sensor division that utilizes nanofiber sensors. This business aims to diagnose diseases through breathing.

According to Kim, breath is a type of gas and certain gases, including hydrogen sulfide, in the breath indicate periodontal disease.

Kim and his team are also in the final stages of developing a sensor for analyzing digestive disorders such as abdominal inflation and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), a condition where harmful bacteria excessively grow in the small intestine.

His future goal is to expand the technology to develop a respiratory gas analyzer capable of early screening for asthma, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cancer.