Korea Startup Promotion Agency Builds Collaboration Platform Between Global Bio Companies and Startups

Daestar Solver Platform Part 3 Bio Finals
Innovative Startups Participate to Solve 7 Challenges
"Advancing Collaboration Strategies Among Companies Including Commercialization"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development (KISED) held the final round of the "Daestar Solver Platform Part 3: Bio Sector," a two-day event on the 1st and 2nd, where global bio companies presented challenges to be solved together with startups.

The Daestar Solver Platform project was established with the purpose of recruiting startups with innovative technological capabilities based on the collaboration demands of large and medium-sized domestic and international companies (demand companies) to promote joint commercialization and research and development (R&D).

In this third installment of the Daestar Solver Platform in the bio sector, seven challenges were presented by demand companies including Google-Lapas (joint), Kyungpook National University Hospital-MS-GE Healthcare (joint), Celltrion, Korea Roche, DB Insurance, and Seegene Medical Foundation.

The program, which ran for about three months from August, involved 2-3 startups per challenge that passed document and presentation evaluations. After a preliminary consultation process for collaboration with demand companies, detailed collaboration plans were developed. KISED conducted evaluations by demand companies and market experts for 19 companies and selected awardees for Grand Prize (7), Excellence Award (7), and Merit Award (5).

First, for the Google-Lapas challenge "Establishing a Global Standard Data Set for Skin Characteristics through Skin Gene and Image Analysis," 'XenoHelix' won the Grand Prize. XenoHelix proposed a collaboration plan focusing on data analysis solutions using non-invasive devices.

For Celltrion's challenge "Development of a Remote Medical System for Chronic Diseases," 'MirabelSoft' received the Grand Prize. MirabelSoft presented plans to build a platform for sharing medical data between primary care institutions and patients and for remote medical consultations.

For the Kyungpook National University Hospital-MS-GE Healthcare challenge "Algorithms Related to Non-face-to-face, Remote, and Centralized Medical Systems in Infectious Disease Wards," 'BirdOn' won the Grand Prize. BirdOn announced plans to build a cloud-based smart infectious disease ward mobile monitoring system.

Korea Roche presented two challenges. For the "Early Detection Solution for Progression of Macular Degeneration" challenge, 'LabSD' won the Grand Prize. LabSD proposed a collaboration plan to develop a community-based blindness prevention solution. For the "Disease Management Solution through Monitoring Symptoms of Spinal Muscular Atrophy" challenge, 'ExoSystems' received the Grand Prize. ExoSystems presented digital musculoskeletal measurement technology based on involuntary muscle contraction signals.

For DB Insurance's challenge "Development of Non-face-to-face Mental Counseling and Medical Service," 'Mind Research Institute' won the Grand Prize. The Mind Research Institute developed 'MindFinder,' a personalized psychological measurement tool, and proposed plans to link it with various insurance products of DB Insurance.

For Seegene Medical Foundation's challenge "Standardization of Digital Pathology Tissue Images for AI Interpretation," 'Promedius' won the Grand Prize. Promedius presented a collaboration project utilizing AI unsupervised learning technology for tissue analysis solutions.

Additionally, Fluid, Share & Service, GB Soft, Pixelo, Inel, Fortify, and DueAI received Excellence Awards for their respective challenges, while PTU, Sybel International, MCell, Atomos, and Cybernetics Imaging Systems received Merit Awards. KISED is reviewing plans to provide various additional programs such as commercialization support for the awarded startups to facilitate future cooperation with demand companies.

Kim Yong-moon, President of KISED, stated, "We will enhance ways to collaborate with large and medium-sized companies to foster startups in the BIG3 sectors, including biohealth."

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