Seven Korean startups honored for cutting-edge innovations

Seven Korean startups were recognized at an annual conference for their cutting-edge innovations in sectors such as AI, robotics, and EV batteries.

Attendees at the 2023 International Symposium on Korea, the Country of Innovation and Start-ups, stand on the stage during the Korean Innovative Start-ups Declaration Ceremony at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in western Seoul on Wednesday. [KANG JUNG-HYUN]

Seven startups at the forefront of Korea’s technological advances were recognized as the winners during the annual startup conference co-hosted by The JoongAng Media Network, KAIST and Seoul National University (SNU).

In a testament to the intensifying global competition in critical tech, cutting-edge innovators in the most sought-after sectors, ranging from AI and EV batteries to robotics and carbon reduction, took the center stage at this year’s “International Symposium on Korea, the Country of Innovation and Startups.”

The Korean Innovative Start-up Awards ceremony took place on the first day of the two-day symposium, which kicked off Wednesday at the National Assembly in western Seoul.

One of the recurring themes in the awardees’ visions was to reduce Korea’s dependency on foreign technologies with homegrown capabilities, a move to bolster the country’s economic and security footing amid escalating geopolitical uncertainties.

Among over 100 startups that applied for this year's Korean Innovative Start-up Awards, seven were selected.

Point2 Technology, founded in 2014, was granted an award by the National Assembly speaker.

The chip design startup produces the world's first custom-designed high-speed communication semiconductors with plastic-based cables.

Named E-Tube, the technology provides a cheaper alternative to conventional copper or optical cabling that enables faster data speed and lower power consumption, according to Point2 Technology.

The mass production of 800G E-Tube, which can transmit data at 800 gigabits per second, will begin in 2025 and 1.6T E-Tube in 2026.

S-Graphene and ROEN Surgical were awarded by the Minister of Science and ICT.

S-Graphene, established in 2020, is developing a silicon-based anode, one of the four key materials in making EV batteries that determines the charging speed.

Silicon is an alternative to graphite, the current main ingredient in making anodes. It is known to have significantly higher energy density than graphite, which translates into faster charging times and longer driving ranges for EVs.

However, silicon-based anode materials face stability challenges. Only three companies addressed the issue, yet currently available technologies are still largely limited due to high costs and lingering stability concerns.

This is where S-Graphene comes in.

According to the company, its graphene-based silicon anode technology has lower production costs with improved safety. S-Graphene hopes to secure a pilot production line by the end of this year, and begin quality verification for its prototype products with clients early next year.

ROEN Surgical, a surgical robot developer, was established by KAIST faculties and students in 2018. The company specializes in flexible surgical robots that can enter the human body to remove tumors and calculi.

ROEN plans to introduce Korea’s first surgical robot for kidney stone removal, named Zamenix System, in the market, with the aim of reducing Korea’s dependence on overseas technologies in the field.

Mathpresso, an AI-based education app developer, was given the award by KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung.

Mathpresso operates Qanda, a mobile app that uses visual recognition technology to discern math problems and show the user how to solve them.

Qanda, launched in 2016, has accumulated more than 80 million subscribers in Asian countries including Japan, Vietnam and Thailand, and achieved 10 million monthly active users in 2022.

Mathpresso is currently developing a large language model with KT, its equity investor, for a problem solving service and also an AI-powered learning course recommendation service.

Asleep, a sleep tech company founded by a KAIST graduate, won the award from the SNU president.

Asleep’s sleep-aid technology picks up on the user’s sleep patterns to automatically adjust the surrounding environment.

Luxrobo won the award given by the JoongAng Media Network chairman.

Founded in 2014, the company is developing an AI-based automation tool for smart device design. Luxrobo has so far applied for 85 patents, 72 trademarks, and 121 designs, in Korea and overseas.

Humaster, which won the award from the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST) chairman, uses polymeric moisture-wicking desiccant materials and engineering technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy efficiency of industrial facilities and office buildings.

The company expects its dehumidifying cooling technology to help cut energy consumption significantly, particularly in high-precision industries that require clean room operations such as semiconductor manufacturing.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]