The tech startup incubator, D2 Startup Factory (D2SF), backed by Naver, South Korea’s ’Google,’ has invested in three startups: medtech developer, The Wave Talk; haptictech hardware maker, CK Materials Lab; and augmented reality developer, LetinAR.
All three of these startups are domestic technology-intensive startups that are growing rapidly in their own fields. Moreover, they will become useful instruments to Naver and Naver Labs to further explore AR-related technology. Let’s take a closer look at each of these startups.
CK Materials is a hardware startup that developed a haptic actuator based on magnetic materials. Their product allows for the expression of actions such as rubbing or tapping in flexible forms, and can be used as future interface for next-generation platforms such as Wearable Robotics IVI to maximize user engagement.
The Wave Talk has developed a technology that allows anyone to detect the presence of bacteria anytime, anywhere, by analyzing the wave pattern that reacts to a laser. Currently, bacterial testing methods are carried out by experts who take samples and test them in a laboratory using expensive precision equipment–a process which can take days.
The Wave Talk’s sensors do not require any sampling, so non-experts can easily detect bacteria in food and drinks in real time. Moreover, this technology can be applied to IoT businesses in hospitals and factories. Because its co-founder, Yong Keun Park, is a professor at KAIST, a top-notch Korean university, the startup is also working closely with a team there.
LetinAR has developed optics for smart glasses that have a wider viewing angle and can be continuously displayed from short- to long-distance. There are no noticeable differences between LetinAR lenses and ordinary lenses, therefore, there are no design constraints for the glasses. Having succeeded in developing the first prototype, LetinAR received many favorable reviews from domestic and overseas exhibitions such as CES, and is currently in the process of commercialization.
Yang Sang Hwan, director of Naver D2SF, said, “the reason we invested in them is because they all are developing crucial technologies for future customers and, therefore, have great potential. Naver plans to actively engage in collaboration with them, including accelerating and mentoring.”
Meanwhile, on June 7, Naver acquired Company AI, an artificial intelligence startup, after Company AI was accelerated in D2SF’s program. In September, Naver D2SF will hold its own demo day in Seoul, Korea.
(Top photo from 58pic.com)
This article, entitled “Why these 3 startups attracted investment from top South Korean startup accelerator, D2SF”, was written in Korean by Platum, edited by AllTechAsia.