Lee Yonghee, CEO of EX Healthcare: "Preventing Muscle Loss with Topical Application... I Want to Give Hope to Patients"

Is it possible to become healthier by applying something to the skin, instead of ingesting it? The challenge taken on by Lee Yonghee, CEO of EX Healthcare, began with this very question. EX Healthcare is a healthcare company that develops products such as Dermafit, a body and muscle cream that helps prevent muscle loss, as well as a varicose vein prevention and management service.

Lee Yonghee, CEO of EX Healthcare, is introducing Dermafit Cream, which prevents muscle loss, at the office located in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Women's Enterprise Comprehensive Support Center

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Lee, who previously worked as a researcher at Amorepacific, decided to start her own business because of her older sister, who suffered from leukemia. In an interview at the company's headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on April 24, Lee explained, "Because my sister could neither eat properly nor exercise, she experienced rapid muscle loss, which made things even harder for her." She continued, "I wanted to develop technology that could give hope to people struggling like my sister."

Founded in 2022, EX Healthcare launched its first product in the United States the following year and was selected as an excellent exporter for three consecutive years. In 2024, the company won the top prize at the Women’s Startup Competition and was also named to the 'Global Small Giants 1000+' list. Last year, EX Healthcare recorded export sales of 800,000 dollars (about 1.18 billion won). This year, the company plans to enter a German pharmacy platform and is preparing for mass production in 10 countries in the Middle East. Lee explained, "American consumers have no hesitation in applying, ingesting, or using devices to take care of their muscles. By positioning Dermafit as a supplement to exercise, we have begun to increase our sales."

Lee Yonghee, CEO of EX Healthcare, is being interviewed at the office in Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Women Entrepreneurs Integrated Support Center

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Lee has set an ambitious goal to cover the entire healthcare sector. She aims to build an 'all-care system' based on products for varicose vein care, mental and sleep stabilization, fatigue recovery, and more. EX Healthcare is particularly accelerating the advancement of 'CHECKHaji', a varicose vein prevention solution.

This service was selected last year as a recipient of the 'Smart Service for SMEs' program, supported by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, managed by the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs, and implemented by the Women Entrepreneurs Comprehensive Support Center. A key feature is the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the service. Earlier this year, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), EX Healthcare received a joint research proposal from CSEM, a Swiss national research institute.

Lee stated, "After enhancing the application through the smart service support program, we received feedback at CES that the app’s functionality had improved significantly within just a year." She added, "Previously, specialists manually assessed risk levels, but with the system upgrade, we established a mechanism where AI analyzes leg photos to determine risk levels, significantly improving the precision of the analysis regardless of lighting or skin tone."

Lee further commented, "Receiving a proposal from a European research institute through this project, and obtaining an objective test report demonstrating our growth with government support, has given me the confidence that we can achieve even greater results through additional support programs and new projects."

EX Healthcare is working to diversify its portfolio with products such as sunscreen that protects not just the skin but also muscles, and skincare items that apply the principles behind why East Asians tend to maintain younger-looking skin. At the same time, the company is actively seeking additional investment to lower product costs.

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