KT Fosters AI Semiconductor Super Gap Startups

KT, in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Korea Standards Association, and the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, announced on the 10th that five companies engaged in the fields of system semiconductors and robotics have been selected as the final participants in the inaugural Super Gap Startups 1000+ Innovation Field Startup Package Private Verification Track.

In November 2022, the government announced the "Advanced Future Industry Startup Fostering Strategy: Super Gap Startups 1000+ Project" to secure the nation's future growth engine and create opportunities for global market dominance, aiming to discover 1,000 promising startups in the top 10 superior fields over a period of five years. This year, 150 companies are expected to be discovered. The top 10 fields include system semiconductors, bio-health, future mobility, eco-friendly energy, robotics, big data and AI, cybersecurity and networks, aerospace and maritime, next-generation nuclear power, and quantum technology.

The companies selected for the Super Gap Startups 1000+ program will receive direct support in the form of up to KRW 600 million in business commercialization funds and up to KRW 500 million in R&D funds, depending on corporate demand. They can also receive support through policy fund guarantees and export businesses, among others. KT made a strategic investment of KRW 30 billion in July 2022 in Rebelion, an AI semiconductor design startup, and plans to apply Rebelion's AI semiconductor for data centers, called "Atom," to KT IDC. It is also expected to be incorporated into KT's ongoing development of the giant AI service called "Mideum(meaning Belief).”

Moreover, KT has been collaborating with MoReh, an AI infrastructure software company, since KT's strategic investment in 2021. They have been working together in various areas, including AI training cloud services and the development of giant AI models.

Rebelions is a company that provides the platform "Backend.AI," which allows efficient operation of graphic processing units (GPUs) necessary for AI training. They are collaborating with KT on the development of the giant AI service "Mideum

KT is building an alliance with Rebelions, MoReh, and others to establish a domestic AI semiconductor full-stack for Korean AI industry independence and reduce dependence on NVIDIA, the AI industry giant.

HYBO, selected as part of the 2022 Startup Leap Package in collaboration with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation, is a company specializing in the development of wide-angle lidar. KT has launched an AI virtual fence service that utilizes HYBO’s lidar sensor. HYBO plans to apply its self-developed semiconductor for wide-angle lidar to KT's lidar sensor.

Among the recommended companies in the robotics field, M2M Tech is an AIoT (Artificial Intelligence of Things) convergence specialist that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). The company possesses smart M2M IoT technology and provides cloud-based remote maintenance solutions applicable to various industries such as elevators and escalators. They have the capabilities to offer high-quality and secure IoT service environments by applying international IoT standards and web security standards. KT is collaborating with them in connection with their service robot business.

The five companies selected in the superior field will continue to receive support from KT through the KT Bridge Open Innovation Program, including support for participation in overseas exhibitions and funding for R&D, to facilitate their growth.

KT stated, "We will actively support superior startups in the fields of focus for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, helping them grow into unicorns and become the nation's future growth engine."

ZDNet Korea
SooHyung Park
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