[On-Site] Startups on the Runway…COEX Filled with Innovators
Korea’s longest running startup demo day, “D-Day” was held on the 2nd at the COEX Grand Ballroom. Organized by D.CAMP, the Banks Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs, since June 2013, D-Day is a monthly demo day that over 600 companies have participated in, marking its 109th edition.
The part 1 Campus League was for very early-stage startups consisting of college & graduate students on a break from college or within 3 years of graduation.
Bredis Healthcare (CEOs Hyundoo Hwang and Jina Kim), a Campus League winner, provides a blood-based solution for early diagnosis and preventive management of dementia. The company has a digital immunoassay (Digital ELISA) technology that is 10,000 times more sensitive than existing blood tests and data analysis technology. With these technologies, a simple blood test can determine whether Alzheimer’s disease is in progress and whether cognitive function is likely to decline within three years. The patent was registered in Korea last month and is pending overseas. The company is currently providing services to domestic university hospitals and research institutes.
Planfit (CEO Hyun-Woo Baek) provides users with customized workout programs and AI coaches based on data from over 60 million workout records. It has accumulated 700,000 downloads. Planfit allows users to enter their physical information, which is then analyzed by AI and coaches to recommend the right exercises at the right intensity for each individual. Depending on where you work out, you can get recommendations for gym and home routines.
MOCKING BIRD (CEO Seung-Woo Baek) provides a subscription question bank service for college entrance exams. It is characterized by providing a large number of verified and high-quality questions online at a lower price than similar services. It operates on a subscription basis and aims to have an average of 10,000 paid members per month within the year. The company plans to enter the overseas SAT market in the future.
Novela Studio (CEO Jun-Hyuk Bang) develops and operates Novela, an AI-based story creation tool. Novela not only recommends writing materials and creates a plot, but also outputs personalized results that reflect the setting of the work and the author’s style. The service is currently available to domestic novelists and will be equipped with AI-based creative functions in the fourth quarter. The company plans to expand the market to global writers in various fields.
D.Hive (CEO Jae-Yung Kim) is a robotic worker platform that provides customized robots with advanced task performance capabilities to solve the labour shortage problem. In the early days of the company, D.Hive developed a service product using autonomous drone flight technology, and then the current autonomous robots that provide security and deliver pizzas. More recently, the company is developing a Purpose-Built Vehicle (PBV) robot that can carry golf bags, deliver packages, and move factory logistics within a 500-meter radius.
The part 2 was dedicated to the theme “Making Finance Everyday”, with companies developing innovative solutions that can be applied to existing financial services.
D-Day Part 2 winner Tilda (CEO Ji Ryang Chung) is a company that has developed a solution to optimize decisions based on human experience and expertise with AI. To improve the inefficiency of manual control of equipment in manufacturing plants and increase productivity, Tilda is about to launch a manufacturing plant operation optimization service that uses machine learning to maximize production, minimize defects, and control energy consumption.
L4BOX (CEO Hyun-Woo Jang) operates Taptapbox, a platform that provides educational content for toddlers and children based on large interactive displays. Consisting of a 55-inch interactive all-in-one device and a movable stand, it combines traditional teaching tools such as paper and pencil, glue and magnets with cutting-edge digital technology so that parents and friends can come together to learn and communicate at any time.
Salarify (CEO Park Ji-Woon) is a fintech company that provides Worked, an in-house loan operation management solution for companies. It reduces the burden on businesses by automating contracts, repayment management, taxation, etc. required for loans. The company has joined Seoul Guarantee Insurance Company (SGI) to protect against the risk of non-repayment. Currently, the company focuses on KOSDAQ-listed companies and plans to expand Worked to startups and MCNs in the future.
Aftercompany (CEO Jae-yeon Park) provides an omnichannel cloud service that enables store system connection, data integration, and customer management at a low cost. It enables one-stop store operation with offline POS, kiosk, ERP, and mobile, and has the advantage of quickly linking data from existing brands’ own malls, cafe24, and logistics systems.
Meanwhile, a total of nine teams that make it to the main stage of the day will receive benefits such as a one-year residency at D.Camp/FRONT1 and direct investment of up to 300 million won, regardless of whether they win. The July D-Day will be held as a regional league and will be a stage for local startups with plans to enter the metropolitan area, as well as metropolitan-based startups preparing for regional expansion.