□ DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee) startups have been continuously selected for major government and private startup support programs, demonstrating their strong technological capabilities and market competitiveness.
□ DGIST startups have been selected for five consecutive years for the Tech Incubator Program for Startup (TIPS)[1], the Korean government’s flagship tech startup support program. The most recent recipients are three startups: faculty-founded 4PMx Co., Ltd. (CEO Jin-ung An), student-founded Repill Co., Ltd. (CEO Jieun Lee). and QD Co., Ltd. (CEO Jinyoung Park).
□ 4PMx was founded by Jin-ung An, a principal researcher in the Division of Intelligent Robot at DGIST. The company specializes in solutions for diagnosing and treating chronic pain, and it is preparing to launch a multi-modal pain assessment device along with AI-powered diagnostic medical software.
□ Repill was founded by Jieun Lee, a graduate of the DGIST School of Undergraduate Studies. The company is developing small- and medium-scale carbon dioxide capture systems and is gaining attention for its eco-friendly solution, backed by innovative technology that converts CO2 into environmentally friendly carbonates.
□ QD was founded by Jinyoung Park, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Energy Science and Engineering at DGIST. The company is developing infrared sensors using lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots. Its innovative technology can reduce costs to approximately 1/30 of those associated with conventional materials. It is on track for commercialization and is also promoting domestic production in the autonomous driving and infrared imaging markets.
□ In addition, IMsystem Co., Ltd. (CEO Jinyoung Kim) and UNIVA Co., Ltd. (CEO Myeong-jin Nam) were selected for Samsung Electronics’ startup acceleration program, C-Lab Outside[2].
□ IMsystem was co-founded by Jinyoung Kim, a principal researcher in the Division of Biomedical Technology at DGIST, and Professor Hong-soo Choi from the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering. The company is developing IM_Pathfinder_Navi, a vascular intervention system that utilizes magnetic fields. This system significantly reduces radiation exposure compared to conventional procedures, enhancing safety for both patients and medical professionals. The technology has gained global attention, having been selected as a Next Generation World Class Product and awarded a CES 2025 Innovation Award.
□ UNIVA was founded by Myeong-jin Nam, a graduate of the DGIST School of Undergraduate Studies. The company aims to develop a multi-modal large language model (LLM) optimized for on-device environments. Recently, UNIVA released its Korean-specialized AI models, theDeepSeek-Blossom series, as open source, drawing significant attention in both domestic and international AI markets. Additionally, the company is exploring ways to apply its AI technology to home appliances and smart home solutions in collaboration with Samsung Electronics.
□ President Kun-woo Lee of DGIST stated, “Our startups are continuously achieving success in both government and private startup support programs, backed by their innovative technologies. DGIST will continue actively supporting tech startups and will spare no effort in fostering a vibrant startup ecosystem, enabling our companies to strengthen their competitiveness in the global market.”
□ DGIST has produced TIPS-selected companies for five consecutive years, starting with SeaWith Co., Ltd., a startup specializing in seaweed-based cultivated meat, in 2020. In addition, DGIST has had multiple startups selected for Samsung’s C-Lab Outside program for three consecutive years, including MFR Co., Ltd., a startup specializing in multi-purpose construction robotics, which was selected in 2023.
[1] TIPS: A program run by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, for discovering promising tech startups in partnership with private investors. It offers funding, R&D support, and mentoring/
[2] C-Lab Outside: A program designed to discover startups with creativity and technological capabilities, offering business support funding, office space, opportunities to participate in domestic and international exhibitions, and potential business collaboration with Samsung Electronics. DGIST startups are leveraging the program to enhance their technologies and explore global market opportunities.
