[비즈한국] As the pace of technological change accelerates, major corporations are finding solutions in startups. This is because they can secure new technologies that would otherwise be limited by internal capabilities, and enhance their responsiveness by efficiently discovering promising technologies and new markets. In that it allows for exploring areas of high uncertainty at a lower cost than in-house R&D, collaboration and investment in startups have long been established as a strategic choice for major corporations.
From manufacturing giants like Samsung Electronics005930 and LG Electronics066570 to major IT firms such as Naver035420 and Kakao035720, these companies are actively operating venture incubation and startup investment/support programs. Their keen insight into new technologies appears to be resonating in the global market as well. With numerous innovation award-winning startups announcing their participation ahead of 'CES 2026', technologies that have been closely watched by domestic major corporations are expected to take center stage.
'Stellar Performance' by Startups and C-Lab Alumni
CES 2026, the world's largest consumer electronics and IT exhibition to be held in Las Vegas next January, is expected to cover a wide range of innovative technologies across various industrial fields, led by its biggest buzzword: Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as robotics, digital health, mobility, spatial computing, and smart homes.
Korea, which consistently maintains the second-largest number of participating companies after the U.S., stood out this year with 208 products (61.5%) receiving innovation awards out of all winning entries (as of the first announcement on November 18).
To date, 30 Best of Innovation awards have been announced by product category, half of which, 15, were won by Korean companies. While AI, mobility, robotics, and semiconductors drew attention, domestic small and medium-sized enterprises also demonstrated technological competitiveness in fields like AI, fintech, content, and XR (extended reality).
Mangoslab, which developed the AI braille printer 'Nemonic Dot', and Studio Lab, which created 'Gency Studio', an AI robot-based automated photography solution, are both startups that have gone through Samsung Electronics' internal venture program, 'C-Lab'.
Mangoslab started as a Samsung C-Lab project and spun off after going through technology validation and commercialization. Beginning with a smart printer that combined the benefits of digital and analog memos, the company developed the AI braille label printer 'Nemonic Dot', which allows users to print braille labels instantly via voice commands or text input, even without knowing braille. It is evaluated as a user-friendly product for general users like caregivers or pharmacists, as it eliminates the need for complex input or PC connection required by existing braille printers and can be used with a smartphone.
Yoon Ha-neul, Vice Representative of Mangoslab, stated, "I hope braille becomes an everyday language for sharing information rather than just a sign of 'consideration'," adding, "We will rewrite the global standards for braille accessibility with AI technology."
Studio Lab is also a spin-off startup from C-Lab, and in February of this year, it attracted investment from Naver D2SF (D2 Startup Factory). The secured Pre-Series A investment amount is 3.3 billion won. Gency Studio, which won the Best of Innovation award in the Augmented Reality and Spatial Computing category, is an intelligent unmanned shooting system that combines AI and robotics technology with XR-based virtual screens and media art. It recognizes user movements in real-time to provide optimal shooting angles and environments automatically, allowing for high-quality photos without a professional operator. It is considered a solution highly suitable for offline retail and fashion sectors.
Studio Lab is expanding its business by securing major fashion companies such as LF, W Concept, GS Retail007070, and Shinsegae as partners. It also operates 'Gency', which builds a fashion-specialized AI model capable of closely analyzing and extracting clothing features to automatically generate detailed pages for shopping malls, as a key solution. Studio Lab is currently collaborating with Busan City, the Korea Institute of Robot and Convergence, and KORAIL, continuing its efforts to link with the public sector. Gency Studio underwent a pilot project at Busan Station last year and officially opened at the station earlier this year.
Standout AI Competitiveness, A Starting Point for Global Validation
The innovation awards also highlighted the progress of AI-based technology startups. Hi-Bo, a company specializing in LiDAR manufacturing, won its second consecutive innovation award with its ultra-compact on-device AI LiDAR sensor, 'iTFS-MINI'. This product integrates an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) into existing LiDAR sensors, enabling real-time people detection and behavioral analysis through its own AI computation without the need for external servers.
As autonomous vehicles become a major trend, the importance of LiDAR, a key sensor, has grown, and its application is expanding to industrial uses such as robot AMRs, unmanned stores, and manufacturing process automation. Hi-Bo's solution, specialized for medium-to-short distances (20-40m), is also characterized by being a non-identifying safety monitoring solution that does not infringe on personal privacy, making it applicable to indoor environments like stores and factories.
Established in 2018, Hi-Bo has gone through both Samsung's C-Lab and LG Group's startup incubation program 'Superstart'. It succeeded in attracting Pre-Series A investment in 2021, began mass production in 2022, and is currently pursuing penetration into both domestic and international markets.
NeuroTX, invested in by Kakao Ventures, is a personalized electronic medicine platform company that combines AI and neuro-stimulation technology to interpret individual biological signals and restore autonomic nervous system balance through customized stimulation. Kakao Ventures is a venture capital (VC) firm that focuses on early-stage startup investments and operates independently, although it is part of the Kakao community.
NeuroTX received an innovation award in the digital health category for its sleep disorder solution 'WillSleep', scheduled to be released in the first quarter of next year. WillSleep is a wearable device based on clinical evidence from university hospitals and AI analysis. According to Kakao Ventures, seven startups supported by the firm are scheduled to participate in CES 2026. In addition to NeuroTX, companies like LetinAR and Recon Labs in the XR and content sector, Omelet and Comfort Lab in industrial field technology, Portray in pharmaceutical solutions, and Lumen Lab in AI-based parenting platforms will also be present at CES.
A Kakao Ventures representative said, "The participating companies are teams that have built essential technological competitiveness, from daily life to industrial sites," adding, "We hope this becomes an opportunity to validate their innovative value in the global market and discover new business opportunities."