Three Hi Seoul companies participated in the Eureka Park K-STARTUP Integrated Pavilion, the startup zone of ‘CES 2023’ held in Las Vegas, USA for a total of 4 days from January 5th (Thursday) to 8th (Sunday, local time). .
Hi Seoul Enterprise is a promising small and medium-sized enterprise in Seoul that has been certified by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Industry Promotion Agency since 2004. As of 2022, 1,059 companies have been certified, and they are selected each year through an expert review process for growth potential, technology, and overseas expansion capabilities. In addition, it is evaluated as leading the Seoul economy based on achievements such as listing on KOSDAQ, winning government projects, and increasing sales.
In fact, the average sales are 136 billion won and the average number of employees is 51.3, which is 2.5 times the average sales and number of employees of venture companies. Half of Hi Seoul companies are export companies and the average company operation period is 17 years. As of October last year, 10 Hi Seoul companies achieved success in being listed on KOSDAQ. In order of industry, information and communications (IT) companies account for the largest share at 41%, followed by business service companies (23.8%).
At this CES, a total of three companies, △Nubi Lab (AI food scanning solution), △Xynapse (AI virtual voice service), and △Agen Global (AI financial solution), participated in the K-Startup integration pavilion at Eureka Park.
On the 5th (local time), the first day of the opening of CES, global media channel AVING News spoke directly with Park Hyeon-hae, head of the Hi Seoul Enterprise Team at the Seoul Business Agency.
Filming and production – AVING NEWS
Q. Editor-in-Chief Choi Ji-hoon: This year’s CES is being held in the era of the pandemic. Last year, when CES was under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, CES was held in a combined online and offline format, but this year it will be held properly in its original size. What does the atmosphere on site feel like?
A. Team Leader Park Hyeon-hae: As it is the world’s most famous exhibition, the enthusiasm is very high. A huge number of people flocked to Eureka Park, where startups are concentrated, as well as the LVCC Hall, the main exhibition hall of CES. That’s how many companies have been waiting for this day, and it seems that buyers and visitors interested in related fields have waited for this day and gathered all at once.
Q. Editor-in-Chief Choi Ji-hoon: Please introduce Hi Seoul Enterprises.
A. Team Leader Park Hyun-hae: In accordance with the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Promising Small and Medium Business Certification Support Ordinance, promising companies within the jurisdiction are selected and certified as Hi-Seoul Companies, and currently, 1,059 companies have been certified. There are quite a few companies, and the industries and fields are diverse. The model in which various companies come together to create synergy and continue to develop through cooperation and coexistence can be said to be the biggest driving force of Hi Seoul Enterprises.
Q. Editor-in-chief Choi Ji-hoon: What are the three Hi Seoul companies that participated in CES 2023?
A. Team Leader Park Hyeon-hae: Eureka Park, where Hi Seoul Company, which participated in this year’s CES, set up a booth, is a place that is run centered around startups. Previously, there were many manufacturing-oriented companies, but recently, non-face-to-face tech and solution-oriented companies are showing considerable prominence in the industry. In line with this trend, all three Hi Seoul companies participating in CES are companies with artificial intelligence (AI)-related technology.
Among these, Agen Global is contributing to the global transition to a low-carbon future and greener financing through the ‘CreditConnect’ AI Banking-as-a-Service platform. In particular, it is noteworthy that it is creating new financial opportunities in the electric vehicle (EV) industry by predicting the residual value of electric batteries, which was previously ‘impossible to measure’, and transparently measuring related financial risks.
CreditConnect BEV was first launched in Korea in 2022, and together with a domestic battery platform company, it developed a ‘ML-based battery residual value prediction system using real-time battery data’ and raised funds to purchase more than 150 electric buses. At this CES, Eisen Global is sharing the challenges and opportunities facing the United States in the transition to EVs, and there are high expectations for discovering potential partners that can create a global EV ecosystem.
In addition, Nubi Lab, a startup developing artificial intelligence (AI) food scanning solutions, is presenting a healthcare concept based on eating habits data at this CES. Nubi Lab AI is expected to develop a new future suited to various user environments in the digital healthcare field by developing food data learned over four years in the form of mobile apps and APIs.
Nubi Lab is a company that has received attention at home and abroad by developing solutions that innovate the group food service environment with technology that can determine the type and amount of food with just one scanning. It is collaborating with artist Eunha Kim, who is attracting attention as a new installation art artist at CES 2023. We are reminding visitors of the impact of Nubi Lab, which contributes to forming healthy eating habits and protecting the global environment.
Lastly, Xynaps is a generative AI startup based on AI voice technology and has flexible scalability as it possesses various AI voice variation technologies. At this exhibition, ‘HyperReal Voice’ introduced software for experts that can easily and quickly create customized AI virtual voice content. It is said that customers can easily create a natural AI voice similar to a human by simply entering text, and can adjust the emotion, pitch, and speed with just a few clicks and drags.
Even if you have an idea, there are many cases where you cannot focus on the content and make it a reality because you do not have capital. Xynaps can create content with less cost and less time in order to allow more people to focus on ideas and content rather than capital. We are researching existing technologies.
In this way, the three companies will participate in CES 2023 to promote excellent artificial intelligence technology in each field and create global business.
Q. Editor-in-Chief Choi Ji-hoon: I understand that Hi Seoul Enterprises declared its ‘Together’ vision at the end of last year. Please explain what is involved.
A. Team Leader Park Hyun-hae: On December 14, 2022, Hi Seoul Enterprises’ 2023 vision was declared under the theme of ‘Donghaeng Attraction Special City’ with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon in attendance. This vision largely consists of three contents.
The first is companionship with the weak. This is a statement that reveals Hi Seoul Corporation’s will to be with people in need. Second, it is a step forward with ESG. Although the term ESG may still be unfamiliar in Korea, norms for ESG have already been created and established institutionally and legally in developed countries internationally. Accordingly, Hi Seoul Corporation plans to conduct ESG management in line with international standards.
Lastly, it is a journey into the world. Hi Seoul Enterprises exports approximately 3 trillion won to 98 countries. Of the 1,059 Hi Seoul companies, about 500 are export companies, and the vision was declared with the keyword, “Partnership with the world,” so that Hi Seoul companies can expand into the world, with the intention of advancing into the global market together with the rest.
Q. Editor-in-Chief Choi Ji-hoon: You must be very busy this year in concretizing the vision for companionship. What are your plans for this year?
A. Team Leader Park Hyeon-hae: We are preparing many events to create opportunities for our companies to continue to expand overseas in 2023. In addition to overseas exhibitions, we plan to dispatch delegations consisting of Hi Seoul company representatives to major overseas cities and arrange meetings with companies that will become influential buyers or partners. Additionally, the World Korean Business Convention will be held in Orange County, USA, in October this year. Hi Seoul Enterprises plans to participate in this competition as a delegation and promote various forms of collaboration and business meetings with Korean-American companies and influential buyers.
Meanwhile, ‘CES’, the world’s largest IT exhibition, is an exhibition where you can understand the trends of the global home appliance industry at a glance. Hosted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), it is held every January in Las Vegas, USA. AVING News, which has covered CES for 1 consecutive years, has reported CES news around the world every year since 17, and has been selected as the ‘BEST OF CES’, which selects the best innovative products and technologies, and the ‘BEST OF’, which selects domestic innovative companies. ‘MADE IN KOREA’ was held. In addition, CES on-site issues were vividly conveyed through ‘AVING LIVE’.
→ Go to the CES 2023 news special page
