"Will Grow as an 'NFT' Company, Not a Golf Equipment Manufacturer"

Kim Young-jun, CEO of Xperon, "Launching Boldocter Next Year, IPO Plans Also"

Kim Young-jun, CEO of Xperon. [Photo by Xperon]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Xperon is a company that manufactures golf equipment such as the golf ball brand 'Vivid' and leather gloves. Recently, as it started selling these golf products through the AI unmanned platform 'Qving,' it has also begun to gain recognition as a developer of unmanned equipment.

Qving is an automatic vending machine that sells golf products produced by Xperon without human intervention. Over 1,000 units have been installed nationwide at screen golf centers, large supermarkets, movie theaters, and popular restaurants near golf courses. Last year, it generated sales of 1.8 billion KRW solely through vending machines.

In January last year, Qving was showcased at the 'Orlando Golf Merchandise Show (PGA Merchandise Show 2020),' known as the world's largest golf equipment exhibition, where it received favorable reviews from local audiences. Although an order was received from a local business for 3,000 units (worth approximately 23 billion KRW), the order was postponed due to the spread of COVID-19, leaving some regret.

Kim Young-jun, CEO of Xperon, stated, "In the vast American continent where people have to travel long distances to purchase golf equipment, the advantage of Qving, an unmanned device that allows monitoring of all devices in one place through Internet of Things (IoT) technology, became clearly recognized. Although the order was postponed at the time, we confirmed the demand and potential of the U.S. market."

Building on the success of Qving, Xperon's next project is 'Ball Doctor.' Scheduled for release next year, Ball Doctor is a device that finds the center axis of a golf ball whose center of gravity is off. Knowing the center of gravity of a golf ball increases distance and improves control accuracy.

CEO Kim expressed confidence in Ball Doctor's success, saying, "By installing Ball Doctor at golf courses, golfers will check their balls right before rounding and experience the power of Ball Doctor on the field." Xperon plans to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) once market recognition increases through Ball Doctor.

Xperon has already entered the Chinese market and is laying the groundwork. In 2017, Xperon's Chinese subsidiary 'Xibiron' was established in Qingdao, and golf academies are operated in Beijing and Yantai to support young aspiring players. Negotiations for entry into the Australian market are underway, and preparations for entering the Japanese market are also in progress.

Kim Young-jun, CEO of Xperon, said, "Currently, there are about 200 golf industry departments operating in China. In about five years, it will be China's era. Young athletes use Xperon's equipment in various competitions, and when they win, they wear Xperon's hats on the podium. Xperon is already well known in China."

The ultimate form of business Xperon pursues is an unmanned store utilizing Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT). Using blockchain technology, payments can be made with cryptocurrency on various platforms including Qving, and a system is being developed where purchasing an NFT grants ownership shares in the unmanned store.

CEO Kim said, "We will revitalize the unmanned market by utilizing blockchain technology and NFT-based marketplace technology, and expand future platform markets. We will open an era where ownership shares of unmanned stores are purchased as NFTs for joint management."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.