We are an AI company that creates AI… Our goal is to achieve 25% of global sales this year.
Kim Hyun-soo, CEO of SuperbAI, stated that the company supplies image AI solutions to Toyota, enabling features such as defect inspection and fire detection.
"Our competitive edge lies in data labeling and the AI model vulnerability supplement process," said Kim. "By automating these tasks, we can significantly reduce development time. Additionally, we can quickly add the features our clients need."
There is a Korean startup that supplies artificial intelligence technology to Toyota, the world's largest automaker, in the conservative Japanese industry. The main character is SuperbAI, which began cooperation with Toyota solely with its technological prowess, showcasing demonstration scenes at exhibitions.
CEO Kim Hyun-soo, who founded SuperbAI in 2018, met with Maeil Business Newspaper and explained that SuperbAI is a "company that makes AI," saying, "We are running a platform that allows people who are not familiar with development to make and use the AI they need."
Simply put, SuperbAI has its own platform technology that implements desired functions by learning data from tasks such as collecting and classifying data so that companies can produce AI services they want to use.
SuperbAI specializes in vision AI. Some companies need technology to quickly detect and inform emergency situations, such as fire, by using real-time video footage filmed by CCTV. Others want a solution to sort out defective products by scanning the exterior of products produced in factories.
As such, any AI technology that utilizes video data can be created through SuperbAI's platform.
"We developed a solution that can detect fires in electric cars with the Korea Fire Research Institute," Kim said. "Electric cars are particularly vulnerable because fires can grow quickly when sparks or smoke occur, so it's crucial to detect fires immediately."
In the case of KT Wiz, a baseball team, it recently introduced a system that analyzes the congestion level of each major area in real time and displays it on an electronic screen to improve the convenience of spectators at KT Wiz Park, its home stadium.
Many companies develop video analysis AI specialized in specific areas. However, there are few services that can implement all the functions that customers want, not just individual solutions.
CEO Kim said, "We were able to shorten the time by automating data labeling, selecting necessary data, and addressing AI model vulnerabilities."
Another advantage is the scalability of being able to develop and add necessary functions right away. If a company requests that "it wants to detect not only fires but also people falling," additional functions can be implemented on the same platform without the need to create a separate solution.
SuperbAI also attracted attention by securing global customers such as Toyota and Nippon Steel. Both manufacturing bases reportedly chose SuperbAI's solution to introduce various manufacturing AIs, such as defect inspection.
"As Toyota has started to use the service, it has been expanding to partner companies as well," CEO Kim said. "It will also be introduced to Japanese electronics companies and national research institutes soon."
SuperbAI is conducting global business through its U.S. and Japanese subsidiaries, with its headquarters based in Korea. Korea still accounts for the majority of sales. "We plan to increase the share of global sales to 25 percent this year. Our goal is to double our overall sales every year, regardless of region," CEO Kim said.
After graduating from Duke University with degrees in electronic engineering and bioengineering, Kim took a Ph.D. program, took a leave of absence, and returned to Korea. In 2016, the year AlphaGo made its shock announcement to the world, Kim joined SK Telecom and researched vision AI and robots for about two years. Since then, he decided to start a business with researchers from his time at SK Telecom. Despite being his first start-up, he was recognized for his potential and caught the attention of Y Combinator, one of the world's leading start-up accelerators. The cumulative investment raised by SuperbAI is about 49 billion won. The company is also preparing to go public on the Korean stock market with a goal for next year.
Regarding this year's plan, CEO Kim emphasized, "In terms of technology, we will announce our own AI technology soon, and we will continue to introduce AI technology in areas that the general public can feel."
In addition to KT Wiz's home stadium, SuperbAI's solution will soon be introduced at an international airport in Korea. CEO Kim said, "In the past, the term 'MLOps company' was used, which was very difficult and unfeasible. SuperbAI wants to become a company where ordinary people can encounter solutions around them, like baseball stadiums and airports."
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