DGIST Student Startup CEOs Seungyoon Kim and Jieun Lee Named to 'Forbes Korea 30 Under 30'

Seungyoon Kim, CEO of Broz, a student startup from DGIST (President Kunwoo Lee), and Jieun Lee, CEO of Refeel, have been selected for the final list of '2026 Forbes Korea 30 Under 30,' announced by the global business magazine Forbes Korea.

Every year, Forbes Korea selects and announces 30 innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders under the age of 30 who have achieved remarkable results across various industries. This year, DGIST produced honorees in both the Consumer Tech and Social Impact categories, once again demonstrating the excellence of its innovative, interdisciplinary education and startup support systems.

CEO Seungyoon Kim (left) and CEO Jieun Lee

Seungyoon Kim, who was listed in the 'Consumer Tech' category, leads the student startup Broz, based on technological capabilities that innovate consumers’ daily lives and a differentiated business model. Broz's core technology is 'FAVIEW,' an AI-based 3D spatial automatic generation solution. The company is building a proof-of-concept (PoC) collaboration model that can be practically applied at industrial sites. By actively responding to the digital transformation needs of large corporations and integrating AI, XR, and digital twin technologies, Kim is highly regarded for his potential as a next-generation tech leader who will drive future innovation in industry and urban environments.

Jieun Lee, selected in the 'Social Impact' category, is realizing distributed carbon transition infrastructure to address the climate crisis through her startup Refeel. Refeel has completed the development and verification of prototypes for small- and medium-sized carbon dioxide capture devices, and is accelerating commercialization by implementing innovative technology that converts captured carbon into eco-friendly carbonates. By focusing on technological advancement for practical on-site application, and by directly contributing creative green solutions to environmental and social issues, Lee was highly recognized and earned her place on this year’s list.

Broz CEO Seungyoon Kim commented, "Thanks to DGIST's systematic startup support programs and its open environment for interdisciplinary research, I was able to turn my idea into a successful business." Refeel CEO Jieun Lee expressed her aspirations, saying, "We will continue to embrace challenges and innovate without fear of failure, growing into a company that brings positive change to the world."

Kunwoo Lee, President of DGIST, stated, "I am extremely proud that our university's creative and ambitious talents have had their capabilities recognized," and added, "We will continue to serve as strong supporters, so that our students can fully develop their innovative ideas and grow into leaders who contribute to the nation and humanity."

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