□ The Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology (DGIST; President Kunwoo Lee) said that startups run by DGIST students have continued to produce excellent outcomes, including attracting seed investment, collaborating with large enterprises for open innovation, being selected for government-private startup support programs, and contributing to the spread of tech-based startups. The student startups noted this time around are S-Innovations and BROZ, which are recognized for their original technologies in cyber-physical artificial intelligence (AI) and space-based AI, respectively.
□ In just one year after its foundation, S-Innovations (CEO Hyungseok Park, a PhD program student) attracted a total of KRW 1.4 billion in seed investment from four institutions, including Quantum Ventures Korea, and proved both its technology and business potential. The startup, whose slogan is “Pioneering Cyber-Physical AI,” is developing software-based solutions to solve logistics automation problems at manufacturing sites. More interestingly, the concept of “cyber-physical AI” proposed by CTO Kyungjoon Park (professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, DGIST), one of the world’s most respected experts in smart factories and cyber-physical systems, is garnering a lot of attention for his transformative approach to connecting and controlling AI and physical systems in real time.
□ S-Innovations is currently developing the S-FMS (Fleet Management System), which can integrate and control various brands of autonomous mobile robots (AMR), and the system is expected to dramatically reduce complexities in the traditional introduction process of AMRs. “Based in Daegu, we will get ahead in the market of mid-sized manufacturers in the Asia–Pacific,” S-Innovations said. “Based on our pragmatic software strategies, we will grow into a leader in the global manufacturing solutions market.”
□ BROZ (CEO Seungyoon Kim, a student at the School of Undergraduate Studies) has been selected for three consecutive private open innovation projects for its space-based AI technology and named in major startup support programs in Korea and abroad. Recently, the company was recognized for both its technology and planning capabilities as it was selected for multiple large company collaboration projects: the Tourism Open Wave project in collaboration with Kolon LSI, a collaboration project with Daekyo and Kolon Benit, and a project organized by the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation.
□ By applying a smart space management solution based on digital twins and extended reality (XR) content via a joint project with Hoban Construction in 2024, BROZ improved operational efficiency and was finally selected as a best practice in open innovation. Recently, the company has been selected for high-profile technology startup incubation programs, including the 2025 Global Corporate Collaboration Program (N-Up) by NVIDIA and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Super Gap Startup 1000+ Project - MICRO DIPS (AX Incubation), and AI Startup Accelerator 3 by SK Telecom, and strengthened the groundwork for upgrading products and expanding across the global market.
□ With an AI-based 3D space automatic generation solution called FAVIEW as its core technology, BROZ is building a proof-of-concept for a collaboration model, which is practically applicable to industrial sites. By doing so, the company plans to respond directly to the digital transformation needs of large enterprises and grow as a key partner in the transformation of industries and cities with AI, XR, and digital twin technologies.
□ Meanwhile, DGIST is creating a creative startup ecosystem based on interdisciplinary technologies and enhancing industrial competitiveness in the region and country by promoting student startups and supporting technology commercialization. DGIST will remain committed to discovering promising startups based on innovative ideas and technologies and developing talented entrepreneurs who are competitive in the global market in science and technology startups.
