D.CAMP Showcases Top “K-Startups” in Singapore

D.CAMP (CEO Young-deok Kim), run by the Banks Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs, marked its 11th anniversary by partnering with Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and KB Financial Group to host the 108th D.DAY at Singapore’s PIXEL.

Since launching in June 2013, D.DAY has built a reputation as Korea’s longest-running demo day. This was the first time the event was held overseas rather than in Korea. The Singapore edition introduced promising Korean startups aiming to expand into Southeast Asia to local startup support organizations and venture capital firms in Singapore. After a 16-to-1 competition, five teams were selected.

Judges included senior executives from IMDA and Singapore-based venture capital firms—Cento Ventures, Golden Gate, Openspace, Tin Men Capital, and Insignia Ventures Partners—invited to evaluate the global business potential of Korean startups. Hoon Choi, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Singapore, also visited the venue to support the finalists.

In opening remarks, D.CAMP CEO Young-deok Kim said he hopes this D.DAY will serve as a starting point for Korean startups’ expansion into Southeast Asia, encouraging more companies to pursue overseas markets, and asked for continued support from Singapore partners including IMDA.

The D.CAMP Award went to WeMeat (CEO Hyun-seok Ahn), a company that makes plant-based alternative meat using mushrooms as its main ingredient. As a point of differentiation, WeMeat focuses on recreating the texture of grilled chicken (rather than beef or pork), and does so using king oyster mushrooms instead of soy. The company says it matches chicken’s taste while containing no cholesterol or trans fat, offering 100% dietary fiber, and having 50% less saturated fat than chicken—making it easier to choose even for consumers with cardiovascular concerns. Targeting people in their 20s and 30s who care about the environment, animals, and health, WeMeat has also developed items such as guobaorou-style dishes, spicy “kkampung” chicken-style dishes, and masala options. WeMeat previously won the Korea Growth Finance Award at D.DAY in November last year.

Kai Health (CEO Hyejun Lee), which received the IMDA Award, develops an AI solution that helps select high-quality embryos to improve the success rate of infertility treatments. For IVF to succeed, choosing the right embryo is essential. Kai Health aims to make what was previously driven by a physician’s experience-based judgment more objective through data, by assigning embryo selection to an AI algorithm. While IVF success rates are currently around 30%, Lee said the company’s solution can increase that figure by as much as 10 percentage points or more. Lee is an OB-GYN by training and graduated from Seoul National University College of Medicine. Kai Health also won the Mini D.DAY co-hosted by D.CAMP and Seoul National University College of Medicine in December 2021.

Huray Positive (CEO Doo-ah Choi) is a digital healthcare company that provides chronic disease management solutions. It brings together 13 startups—each with strengths in different diseases—in an alliance model to provide personalized health management information. Starting with the launch of “My Health Note,” a health management service developed with Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Huray Positive has secured clients including Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance and the National Health Insurance Service. The company plans to expand its business into Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East as it pursues global growth.

Omnis Labs (CEO Gwi-hwan Moon) develops technology that makes it easier to analyze image data collected from aviation and space through its in-house machine-learning AI platform, “DeepBlock.” With satellite and aerial footage reaching volumes as large as 100TB, even experts have found analysis difficult. The company says DeepBlock can automate analysis of satellite and aerial video data at speeds of up to 15GB per second using AI. Moon is looking to expand the service by leveraging the rapid growth of Singapore’s government-supported geospatial analysis industry.

Source: ZDNet Korea · By Bong-sam Paik · Published May 8, 2023 (15:22 KST) · Originally published in Korean · English translation