K-Startups Winning CES Innovation Awards This Year Show Strong Presence in 'Healthcare'

Startup Alliance Analyzes Korean Startups Awarded CES 2024 Innovation Awards

At this year's CES, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, the majority of South Korean startups that received Innovation Awards were companies in the healthcare industry.

On the 17th, Startup Alliance announced the results of an analysis of 116 Korean startups that won Innovation Awards at CES 2024. By industry, the sector with the most awards was healthcare, with a total of 30 startups (25.86%) receiving Innovation Awards. These include 'Mandro,' a company developing 3D-printed prosthetic arms that won the top Innovation Award, AI prostate cancer diagnosis solution company 'DeepBio,' and regenerative medicine startup 'Plcoskin.'

The second largest industry group receiving Innovation Awards was the smart home and smart city sector. Out of the 116 startups, 14 (12.07%) were awarded. Representative companies include sleep tech startup 'Tenminds' and 'Vtouch,' which developed contactless touch technology. Tenminds won the top Innovation Award, and Vtouch has received CES Innovation Awards for four consecutive years from 2021 to this year.

In the AI sector, which was highlighted as a core area at this CES, 12 startups (10.34%) received awards. Notably, startups based on image and video technologies stood out. These include 'StudioLab,' a shopping mall image production startup that won the top Innovation Award, as well as 'MayAI' and 'Pion Corporation,' which are video-based startups. There are also webtoon startups such as 'Onoma AI' and 'Cream.'

In the sustainability sector, 11 startups (9.48%) received Innovation Awards. The topics were diverse, including bio, mobility, and climate tech. 'ANPoly' is a startup developing new materials to replace plastic and is a spin-off from Pohang University of Science and Technology's laboratory. 'Hydrolux' is a company developing hydrogen storage systems. Other sustainability startups include electric vehicle battery company 'Poen' and AI vision fine dust monitoring startup 'DeepVisions.'

Analyzing the locations of startups that received Innovation Awards at this year's CES, 80 out of 116 (69%) were based in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. Among them, 56 startups (48.28%) were located in Seoul, and 24 startups (20.69%) were in Gyeonggi. Following these, 7 companies (6.03%) were located in Daejeon and Gyeongsang.

A representative from Startup Alliance explained, "The status of Korean startups at CES is rising every year," adding, "Startups with high technological capabilities that can win Innovation Awards are emerging not only in the metropolitan area but also across the country."

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