Challenging Innovators To Ideate for a Better Future

Following the announcement of its New Environmental Strategy in September 2022, Samsung has been working closely with startups to invest in and develop innovative technologies capable of helping the planet.

To further these efforts, Samsung and XTC have announced the Samsung Climate & Circularity Tech Challenge. This competition, focused on circular economy and climate change, seeks to identify new leading solutions that are in line with the values of Samsung’s New Environmental Strategy.

Participants are encouraged to submit ideas that address resource circularity as related to not only the processing, sorting and extraction phases but also climate change innovation as related to carbon emission measurement and management and carbon emission reduction and offsetting. Selected entries may be considered for implementation into Samsung’s wide range of products and associated manufacturing processes.

The Samsung Climate & Circularity Tech Challenge is open to tech-for-good founders and innovators. Besides having the opportunity to see their ideas form the next generation of home electronics, successful participants will receive exposure on the global stage as well as the potential for investment and corporate strategic partnerships. Winning entries will also be allocated a presence within Samsung’s exhibition at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, U.S.

Those interested in the challenge are able to apply before applications close on August 6, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.¹ Finalists will be announced on August 28, ahead of a live final event on September 18.

For more information on the challenge, please visit the official website.

¹ The content has been revised as of July 31, 2023 to provide more accurate information.

▲ Samsung Electronics’ C-Lab exhibit at VivaTech 2023 in Paris, France.

Samsung Electronics today announced it will be showcasing innovative projects developed through its C-Lab program at VivaTech 2023. VivaTech, Europe’s largest startup and tech event, will take place from June 14 to 17 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition and conference center.

Samsung will set up a C-Lab exhibition space in the “K-Startup Hall”¹ to display one project from C-Lab Inside, an internal venture program for employees, and four startups fostered by C-Lab Outside, a program for external startups.

C-Lab projects and startups will be able to gauge the global market response and strengthen their business case in front of a large number of visitors at VivaTech. They can also take part in investment and business cooperation consultations on site.

Global Launch of Relumino Glass Brings Significant Improvements in Usability and Convenience

▲ C-Lab Inside “Relumino”

Relumino, a visual aid solution for people with low vision, was selected as a C-Lab Inside project in 2016 and has since been further developed and perfected by Samsung Research.

The solution, whose name means “to give light back,” consists of the Relumino app, a smartphone image processing application that utilizes the residual vision of people with low vision to improve object recognition, and Relumino Glasses, a glasses-type wearable device.

Having previously showcased its Relumino solution at MWC 2017 and CES 2018, Samsung will introduce Relumino Glasses to the global market at VivaTech 2023 and demonstrate how it enhanced the technology’s user experience to provide greater comfort and prevent fatigue.

“As the 2024 Paralympic Games will be held in Paris, France next year, there will be a lot of interest in apps and services for people with disabilities,” said Junghoon Cho, one of the Samsung researchers who developed Relumino. “This exhibition will be an opportunity for Relumino to take another step forward.”

Showcasing C-Lab Outside Startups in the Fields of AI, the Metaverse and More

Created in October 2018, C-Lab Outside is a startup acceleration program launched to invigorate the startup ecosystem in Korea. Startups enrolled in the C-Lab Outside program are provided with office workspaces, expert mentoring from Samsung employees, digital marketing and financial consulting. Additional support includes potential partnerships with Samsung and opportunities to participate in IT exhibitions such as CES, VivaTech and KES (Korea Electronics Show).

Since the beginning of this year, Samsung has been accelerating the expansion of the domestic startup ecosystem by introducing a series of C-Lab Outside programs. Through these efforts, the program is expected to revitalize the local economy, create high-quality jobs and further contribute to the balanced development of Korea.

At VivaTech 2023, Samsung will support the exhibition of selected companies not only from C-Lab Outside Seoul, but also Daegu and Gwangju, giving local startups a chance to expand into the global market.

“Thanks to Samsung Electronics’ support for VivaTech, we are one step closer to entering Europe,” said Nayul Kim, CEO of CLIKA, a startup that was selected for C-Lab Outside Gwangju. “We will continue to promote the excellence of Korean startups.”

The companies participating in VivaTech were selected from a pool of C-Lab Outside startups that are aiming to enter the European market. The four chosen startups include:

• NdotLight — creator of a web-based 3D design solution
• Vsion — maker of super clear PDLC film and reverse mode PDLC film
• QuantumCat — the first company to commercialize gold nanocatalyst technology
• CLIKA — provider of an all-in-one Auto-TinyAI platform that helps companies commercialize AI models quickly and reliably

Fostering 866 Startups and Projects Over the Last 10 Years

Samsung operates C-Lab to create sustainable innovations and contribute to the revitalization of Korea’s domestic startup ecosystem.

Launched in December 2012, C-Lab Inside nurtures employees’ innovative ideas while instilling a corporate culture that puts creativity at the fore. The program supports the development of ideas from all areas of business. Leveraging the success of the C-Lab Inside initiative, C-Lab Outside has been expanding Samsung’s support for new ventures to startups and innovations outside of the Samsung network since 2018.

The company has nurtured a total of 866 startups and projects to date, including 475 through C-Lab Outside and 391 through C-Lab Inside.

▲ C-Lab Outside “CLIKA”

▲ C-Lab Outside “NdotLight”

¹ South Korea has been named “Country of the Year” by VivaTech and is promoting Korean startups at the event. This partnership is entered into with only one country in the world. A “K-Startup Hall” will also feature in the center of the event’s main hall.

At this exhibition, a range of future-forward solutions across various fields, including health care and education, are on display for visitors to explore. At this year’s CES alone, startups fostered by C-Lab have been awarded a total of 29 CES 2023 Innovation Awards, cementing their technological capabilities on the global stage.

Read on to learn more about the projects and startups by Samsung’s C-Lab programs on display at CES this year.

▲ Samsung’s C-Lab exhibition showcased a number of its in-house ventures (C-Lab Inside) and supported startups (C-Lab Outside) at Eureka Park in Las Vegas. Startups at C-Lab have taken home a whopping 29 CES 2023 Innovation Awards this year.

C-Lab Inside: Four In-House Projects Taking on Lifestyle, the Metaverse and More

Samsung has been operating its in-house startup fostering program C-Lab Inside since 2012 in order to lead the development of innovative technologies based on creative ideas and the spirit of stepping up to challenges. Out of the projects being fostered within the company, the ones on show at CES this year have been particularly recognized for their innovation, global marketability and overall completeness.

▲ Meta-Running, a coaching platform on the metaverse that helps users run with proper posture, displays the user’s running position in real-time alongside footage of a professional runner adopting the correct posture, helping users prevent injury.

“Most injuries sustained while running come from incorrect posture,” said Donghoon Kang, Creative Leader of Meta-Running, one of the in-house startups on show garnering a lot of attention from visitors to the exhibition. “We feel that harnessing the metaverse and AI technologies can help people run in a healthier and safer manner,” elaborated Kang on where the inspiration came from for this metaverse-powered running project.

Meta-Running can be used with just a mobile device, removing the need for an additional sensor. When a user actually runs, AI technologies will utilize the mobile device’s camera to recognize the user’s body, representing their movements via an avatar in the metaverse. The technologies then analyze their posture and immediately inform them of any changes they should make. Following their run, the user is then provided with a summary of their running postures across each part of their body, as well as a guide on how to correct any wrong posture. As a result, users can work on addressing their posture, muscle strength and any over-pacing issues — three of the main causes of injuries in running.

“We’ve been working day and night to participate in CES, and have also achieved the great accomplishment of applying for a Class A-level patent,” said Kang. “We’ve earned the confidence to say that our efforts have not been in vain and that our ideas are competitive enough.”

▲ Soom, a meditation solution that helps users enjoy more relaxing meditation through real-time feedback

▲ Polkamix, a metaverse concert platform that allows users to enjoy and react to concerts in real-time from the comfort of their home

▲ Falette, an interior service that provides users with 3D visualizations of fabric products, helping them choose the best product before purchasing

C-Lab Outside: Eight Startups Pioneering the Future of Robotics, AI, Digital Healthcare and Beyond

C-Lab Outside is a startup incubating program that was launched following the success of the C-Lab Inside program in order to expand the operational knowledge gained to those outside of the company and to vitalize the startup ecosystem. The startups chosen for the C-Lab Outside program receive a customized incubation program which includes project support funds, digital marketing assistance, financial consulting and more.

▲ NEUBILITY, an urban delivery service using self-driving robots, that redefines on-demand home delivery by providing autonomous home delivery in densely populated areas

▲ NdotLight, a web-based 3D design solution, that allows designers to collaborate on projects even when working remotely

▲ Wrtn Technologies, an AI-based writing practice software, that enables model and language swapping services for businesses looking to expand to global markets

Wrtn Technologies is an education-tech startup that harnesses natural language processing (NLP). At CES 2023, the company has been drawing visitors’ attention with its presentations of its AI writing practicing software, Wrtn Training, which lets users transform their thoughts into writing. “I witnessed many students struggle with expressing their thoughts in writing while I and my team members were participating in an education volunteering program at Korea Scholar’s Conference for Youth (KSCY),” said Seyoung Lee, Co-Founder of Wrtn Technologies. “We developed this AI-based writing practice software after much consideration into how we can make it easier for such individuals to improve their writing skills with the help of technology.”

One of the key factors that inspired the development of Wrtn Technologies has been the emergence of AI and the shift in the definition of creativity that has accompanied it. “Confluent services that combine AI with education are set to become even more important,” noted Lee. “What makes me happy is that Wrtn Technologies has been the first in the Generative AI field following these recent technological changes to receive a CES Innovation Award. Ever since we were selected by C-Lab Outside, we have been able to grow fast, thanks in particular to the commercialization support and marketing assistance we received from the program.”

▲ (from left to right, top to bottom) 40FY, a customizable online mental health care app that provides services from examination to treatment; Plask, a browser-based AI motion capture and animation editing tool that helps designers animate easier; Catius, an AI character capable of realistic conversations with children to help them develop their language skills; and Erangtek, an ultra-small micro repeater that helps enhance call quality

The electronic eye being displayed by startup CELLICO is another highlight of the exhibition. An electronic eye is a device that helps patients suffering from visual impairment to recover their vision across all stages of retinal disease. “In the case of those who have lost their vision due to retinal disease, the movement of their iris, which can be likened to the aperture in cameras, does not function properly,” explained Jeongseok Kim, CEO of CELLICO. “With our augmented reality (AR) glasses, equipped with a camera capable of capturing images and then projecting them to the user through video processing with a consistent amount of light for optimal reception, users get the most out of their time spent both indoors and outdoors.”

▲ CELLICO, the first high-tech healthcare company in Korea to develop a micro-bionic eye for patients with retinal disease

CELLICO’s CES Innovation Award-winning electronic eye technology has already registered a U.S. patent and is currently awaiting the results of review applications to China and Europe. “Honestly, I just about screamed with joy when we were notified that we had won our first CES Innovation Award,” said Kim. “We would like to make the AR-based electronic eye device that we are developing now into a true success in order to help even more visually-impaired people.”

▲The team members of CELLICO, one of Samsung’s C-Lab Outside startups

To learn more about the products and services of C-Lab, which works towards sustainable innovation, visit the CES 2023 C-Lab Exhibition website, and stay tuned to Samsung Newsroom for all the latest news about Samsung at CES 2023.

C-Lab Inside: Metaverse and Lifestyle Projects From Samsung Employees Go on Show

Since 2016, Samsung has been exhibiting its C-Lab Inside projects at CES, and the upcoming projects for 2023 have been highly evaluated in terms of innovation, marketability and completeness among those currently being fostered in-house. And they are as follows:

• Meta-Running, a metaverse platform to learn proper running form
• Polkamix, a metaverse platform that provides an interactive concert experience
• Soom, a new meditation experience with real-time feedback
• Falette, a 3D digital transformation for home fabric products

C-Lab Outside: Startups Showcasing Robots, AI and More To Receive CES Spotlight

Created in October 2018, C-Lab Outside is a startup acceleration program launched to invigorate the startup ecosystem in Korea. Startups enrolled in the C-Lab Outside program are provided with office workspaces, expert mentoring from Samsung employees and digital marketing & financial consulting. Additional support includes potential partnerships with Samsung Electronics and opportunities to participate in influential IT exhibitions such as CES and KES (Korea Electronics Show).

For the past year, Samsung, the Daegu Center and the Gyeong-buk Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, which are parts of C-Lab Outside, have been incubating these startups to develop their technology and be ready to meet the world at CES 2023. The eight chosen startups are:

• NdotLight, a web-based 3D design solution
• NEUBILITY, an urban delivery service through self-driving robots
• 40FY, a digital mental health care app service from examination to treatment,
• CELLICO, a micro-bionic eye for patients with retinal disease
• Plask, an AI and browser-based motion capture and animation editing tool
• Wrtn Technologies, writing training and content creation services using Generative AI
• Catius, a multi-turn conversational AI companion for children
• Erangtek, an IoT micro repeater for home users to improve call quality

C-Lab Startups Bring Record-Breaking 29 Wins of the CES 2023 Innovation Awards

In November 2022, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announced the winners of the CES 2023 Innovation Awards across 28 product categories, including Best of Innovation. Projects from the C-Lab startups received two Best of Innovation Awards, and 27 were named Innovation Awards Honorees. As a result, C-Lab took home 22 Innovation Awards in 2022 and seven more in 2023 for their standout technologies.

Samsung Electronics is sharing its knowledge of how to win the CES Innovation Award and enter the global market.

“It is a great pleasure to see that C-Lab startups have proven their technological prowess on the global stage, as evidenced by the most Innovation Awards ever at CES,” said Hark Kyu Park, President and Chief Financial Officer at Samsung Electronics. “We hope that C-Lab startups will be able to more actively target the global market and show the excellence of Korean startups.”

Notably, Dot Inc., which develops devices and software for the visually impaired, was named a CES 2023 Best of Innovation Award winner in the Accessibility category and also named two CES Innovation Awards Honorees. Verses, which developed the Meta Music System for streaming, was named a CES 2023 Best of Innovation Award winner in the Streaming category.

Seven of the eight startups to exhibit in the C-Lab booth — NEUBILITY, 40FY, NdotLight, CELLICO, Plask, Catius, Wrtn Technologies — won Innovation Awards.

Additionally, seven spun-off startups from C-Lab Inside and 11 former C-Lab Outside startups won two Best of Innovation Awards and 20 Innovation Awards.

Samsung Has Achieved Its Goal of Nurturing 500 Startups and Projects Over Five Years

In 2018, Samsung Electronics announced that it would accelerate 300 Korean startups through C-Lab Outside and 200 projects through C-Lab Inside over a five-year period. The company has nurtured a total of 506 startups and projects (304 from C-Lab Outside and 202 from C-Lab Inside) so far.

Samsung recently established C-Lab Family, a unique professional network through which alumni startups can continue to co-operate with Samsung even after graduating from C-Lab Outside or spun-off from C-Lab. It also created C-Lab Scale-Up Committee and plans to gradually expand partnerships and investments for C-Lab Family in the future.

¹ Starting in December 2012, Samsung C-Lab Inside was established to encourage Samsung employees to discover new ideas and foster a culture of creativity. Those that have proven marketability will either transfer to an in-house division of Samsung or become spin-off projects the company supports.

Starting in December 2012, Samsung C-Lab Inside was established to encourage Samsung employees to discover new ideas and foster a culture of creativity. In the 10 years since its inception, C-Lab Inside has incubated 365 projects and engaged more than 1,500 Samsung employees. This month, Samsung announced support for two other startups, bringing the total number of startups that the company supports to 59.

In the age of digital learning, it’s no surprise that Samsung Electronics has selected two EdTech startups innovating in learning and teaching. The two chosen startups are ‘Piloto’, an AI-driven, parental control app that encourages kids to interact with technology safely and thoughtfully, and ‘EdInt’, an AI-driven service that proctors and manages online exams.

Read on to learn more about C-Lab Inside, the spin-off program, and the latest two startups shaping the future of the education industry.

Piloto: An AI Companion for Keeping Children Safe Online

Piloto is an AI-based training solution that uses a friendly AI character to help regulate children’s screen usage and correct their posture while using smart devices.

According to South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT report, 28.4% of children between the ages of 3 and 9 are at high risk for smartphone addiction. As indicated in the report, the biggest cause of smartphone addiction in young children is that parents do not know how to teach their children healthy smartphone habits.

The Piloto team is led by Ms. Lee Dayoung, who majored in early childhood education. Given that children tend towards ‘animistic thinking’, or the idea that everything in the world is alive, Lee has developed a solution in which an AI character ‘lives’ in a smart device and speaks to the child like a friend.

The AI character helps children develop the ability to self-regulate their screen time by teaching them how to set their own usage time goals. The app also uses a unique natural language processing conversation model to identify the child’s language ability and communicate with them using easy-to-understand expressions.

Going beyond usage time, Piloto also analyzes a child’s body position through a camera mounted on their smart device and helps them correct any harmful posture. After long periods of play, the app even offers eye exercises to help prevent neck pain and vision loss. In addition, the app also automatically blocks any harmful content, so parents can rest easy knowing that their child’s online content is kid-friendly.

Since the early stages of the app’s development, the team consulted with various pediatric psychiatrists and child psychology experts to create content tailored especially to the needs of young children. Through clinical trials, the app has proven to improve smartphone addiction and teach children how to self-regulate their screen time.

“I want to create an environment where children around the world can run and play in a healthy way in the digital world,” said Lee Dayoung, CEO of Piloto.

Piloto is targeted for release in the second half of this year.

EdInt: An AI Proctor for Online Exams

Due to COVID-19, many institutions were forced to rapidly switch to online testing, which led to a rise in cheating during corporate recruitment and university exams. This trend inspired the creation of the Edu-tech startup, EdInt.

Existing online tests are often difficult to set up, and controlling home test-taking environments is nearly impossible. Supervisors also have to manually identify cheating with their eyesight alone, which can be both inefficient and ineffective.

EdInt, an AI online test management and proctoring service, was developed using object recognition technology and motion recognition algorithms to help organizers, supervisors and test-takers conduct online tests conveniently and efficiently.

By scanning their surroundings with a camera, test-takers can easily build their exam environment to match the guide provided by the organizer. Once an exam begins, EdInt’s AI analyzes test-takers’ behavior in real time and notifies the supervisor of any suspicious behavior. Instead of relying on humans, using AI to detect cheating can significantly reduce operating costs. In addition, EdInt provides a detailed report and full test video that can be reviewed after every test.

“We will expand into global markets, starting with domestic public institutions, companies and schools,” said Won Dongil, CEO of EdInt.

Small Ideas, Big Innovations

For more than 10 years, the C-Lab Inside program has been supporting ideas from all areas of business as well as ideas that contribute to society. Since its introduction in December 2012, 59 projects in the program have been spun off as startups, creating more than 500 jobs.

Projects that are selected for the program receive support from Samsung for one year, including office space, research funds and full creative control over the project development.

The C-Lab Inside program has also resulted in numerous innovations being deployed within Samsung itself, such as Galaxy upcycling, Eco-packaging, Lifestyle TV ‘The Sero’ and new features for mobile cameras and Samsung Pay.

As a result, Samsung has been selected as the best company for in-house venture operations by the South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups for the past two years. Last year, it was also selected as a ‘Best Practice for Implementing Fair Trade Agreement’ by the Korean Fair Trade Commission.

Moving forward, Samsung will continue to invest in the longevity of Korean startups through its ‘Economic Revitalization and Job Creation Initiative Plan’. Announced in August 2018, the company pledged to incubate 200 in-house projects (C-Lab Inside) and 300 external startups (C-Lab Outside) through the C-Lab program over the next five years.

The company is on track to reach its goal, having incubated a total of 426 projects, including 244 external startups through its C-Lab Outside program and 182 in-house venture projects through its C-Lab Inside program.

Pioneering Future Technology

The C-Lab program has a proven history of fostering successful startup ventures. Recently, 30 startups that have been previously spun off from Samsung Electronics’ C-Lab attracted a total of 120 billion won in follow-up investments, including 29 billion won for ‘Linkflow’ and 14 billion won for ‘Welt’. Moreover, two startups launched from Samsung C-Lab’s first spin-off program in 2015, ‘Salted’ and ‘Mopic’, have also gained recent industry attention for their strong, foundational technology.

The first company established as a spin-off, Salted, is generating stable sales in the golf sports industry for its innovative fitness tracking and coaching solution that uses smart insoles to analyze weight shifting, swing data, balance data and posture data. At the end of 2020, the company ranked first in sales in the Amazon golf training product category and is currently maintaining steady growth in the global market by signing supply contracts in the United States and Europe. Recently, Salted also expanded its business to the digital health care field, based on the foot data accumulated from its patented pressure sensor technology. Salted is currently conducting domestic and international clinical trials for patients who need gait rehabilitation, such as degenerative brain diseases and diabetic neuropathy.

Another notable C-Lab startup is Mopic, a company developing light field 3D displays and image rendering software that can produce vivid stereoscopic vision. In the early stages, Mopic started its business as a smartphone cover accessory that allowed users to enjoy the 3D content without glasses. However, the 3D content market didn’t grow as fast as expected, causing difficulties in the business model. Despite these setbacks, Mopic continued to grow and improve its technology. The company is now receiving collaboration proposals worldwide as an enterprise solution, such as being used for stereoscopic images for medical surgery, infotainment for vehicles, video conferencing and more. Considering the recent rise of the metaverse and the increasing demand for immersive content, Mopic is now attracting more attention than ever as a company specializing in 3D content production and implementation technology. Mopic is currently raising a Series B investment.

Started in December 2012, C-Lab Inside nurtures employees’ innovative ideas while instilling a corporate culture in which creativity is at the fore. The program supports the development of ideas from all areas of the business.

Since 2015, Samsung has been supporting successful C-Lab projects that demonstrate great market potential, and facilitating their launch as startups under the C-Lab spin-off policy.

The five new startups include:

• Blockbuster – A video editing application that allows content creators to easily apply computer graphics(CG) and 3D effects to videos with their smartphones and that utilizes the patented Blockbuster algorithm to generate realistic 3D CG effects by converting 2D scenes into 3D layers.

• Hyler – A smart highlighter that allows analog text to be digitized and transferred to mobile devices. By highlighting with Hyler, users can easily collect information and interact with it through the Hyler app. For instance, the app’s extensive ‘search’ mode provides word information from a range of search engines and dictionaries that are directly linked to the app.

• Haxby – A smart study note service that records incorrect answers from workbooks and recommends worksheets based on the learner’s ability level. Features an AI algorithm that identifies the user’s competence level for each subject and provides customized worksheets to improve learning.

• SunnyFive – A window-shaped lighting device that produces artificial sunlight, allowing the user to enjoy the full spectrum of light produced by the sun’s natural passage through the sky during the day. Helps users synthesize vitamin D while they are indoors or in low-lit places without having to worry about skin aging or sunburn, and allows for brightness and color adjustment via the app.

• RootSensor – A new type of sensor that records daily UV exposure and utilizes its wide incident angle to minimize detection loss. Can be integrated into wearable devices, smart cars and smart buildings, where it provides a UV monitoring system that records accumulated UV exposure and provides information on skin condition and vitamin D production.

The C-Lab spin-off program provides startups with the investment and business consulting needed to help them grow. Samsung also provides a five-year window during which employees who launch startups can return to their jobs if their endeavors prove unsuccessful, meaning that individuals can embark on their entrepreneurial projects without having to fear that they are risking their careers.

As a result, 163 employees have established 45 startups since the inception of the C-Lab program. Not only have these companies raised 45 million USD in funding over the years, but their value has more than tripled compared to the time at which they were spun off.

C-Lab spin-off ‘Breathings’ launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign on April 21st for its ‘BULO’ breath analysis device for intelligent training, and has since raised over 72,000 USD for the project. Meanwhile, ‘Kitten Planet’, which launched ‘Brush Monster’ — a smart toothbrush that uses an AR guide to educate kids on how to brush effectively — is looking to expand its business into dental care for adults. Finally, ‘Mangoslab’ — which also got its start through C-Lab — recently released ‘Nemonic Mini’, a portable printer that prints memos onto sticky notes without the need for toner. In February Samsung selected Mangoslab’s Nemonic Mini as a special giveaway item for customers who pre-ordered the Galaxy S20 in South Korea.

“Including these five companies, a total of 45 C-Lab alumni startups have been created as a result of the C-Lab program,” relates Inkuk Hahn, Vice President and Head of the Creativity & Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics. “These results illustrate Samsung’s commitment to investing in employee-driven innovation and promoting the South Korean startup ecosystem. Going forward, we will continue working to unlock Samsung employees’ potential for creative innovation while encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit.”

Summary

• Samsung C-Lab spin-off Linkflow came up with the first-ever neck band wearable camera that takes 360-degree footage and transmits clips immediately
• The FITT 360 landed in the market with a bang, especially in the security industry, but the team still had to hurdle through the early stages of starting a business outside of Samsung
• Persistence and openness to customer feedback was what helped them power through
• CEO Yong-guk Kim shares that startups should jump into the market early on to stay relevant – obsessing to polish their device to perfection could cause them to miss the right timing to present their solutions to market

It all started in Maui, Hawaii, where Yong-guk, was on his honeymoon. As he gazed up at the starry night sky from the observatories, he tried his best to capture the breathtaking view with his professional grade digital camera. But his high-spec device couldn’t do anything beyond what all traditional cameras can do, which was to capture the view that lies in front of the camera lens. As an avid blogger and photographer, he had always desired a camera that could capture an awesome view in its entirety.

“People only ever get to see what is in front of their eyes. But seeing the scene from all directions is a totally new experience,” said Yong-guk Kim, CEO of Linkflow. “It records the sky and the clouds in it; it captures all the little moments you may have missed.” With this value proposition, Samsung Electronics’ C-Lab spin-off Linkflow’s product ‘FITT360’ that is expanding the camera market with its ability to “capture and share moments in 360° true First-Person-View.”

The Flagship Product

The FITT360 is a completely new product for the camera market – a wearable camera device, in the form of a neck band, that takes 360-degree footage.

“I once took it on a biking trip to shoot a promotion video. It was eye-opening to see how 360-degree footage made the scene look so different even though the surroundings were quite familiar,” said Hae-jeon Shin, marketing head of Linkflow. “It’s a new idea to capture how you blend into your surroundings with your own camera. It’s totally different from taking a selfie.”

Linkflow offers two varieties of its wearable 360-degree camera device – FITT360 for the consumer market and FITT360 Security for business applications

Mass production of the FITT360 has already started, and it has been winning global recognition, for example being selected as a CES 2018 Innovation Award Honoree in the Digital Imaging & Photography category. The FITT360 also gathered eight times more funding than the team’s initial goal of $50,000 on Kickstarter.

Securing New Opportunities in the Market

After meeting various potential buyers at CES, the Linkflow Team saw an opportunity in the B2B market and came up with an upgraded product – FITT360 SECURITY. “Security companies from all over the world were excited about our product,” said Yong-guk. “It was like nothing they had ever seen before, yet it was clearly a great fit for their jobs. No other body cam out there could record a 360-degrees view, and instantly transmit clips.” Shin added, “We were even asked to sell samples of the first iteration when we participated in security exhibitions in London and Las Vegas.”

Three members of Linkflow sat down with Samsung Newsroom to share their thoughts and experiences

While fate has led Linkflow to first focus on B2B – namely, the security industry – it continues to seek further opportunity in the customer end. FITT360 has potential applications as a personal security device. It can be used to record extreme sports. But above of all, the team holds high hopes on the growing need from content creators such as YouTubers.

“The product is ideal. You can simply swing it around your neck while you pursue outdoor activities and hobbies, even when paragliding or surfing. The fact is that these contents exist today, but YouTubers and bloggers are burdened with bulky filming equipment,” the CEO explained.

The Trials that Tempered the Team

With the enthusiasm that FITT360 SECURITY has received in the B2B world and Linkflow’s ongoing pursuits in the consumer sector, it’s clear that the spin-off and the team have come a long way. However, as a growing venture, the team recounts the trials they’ve overcome together to stay passionate and ambitious. “It wasn’t all just rainbows and butterflies,” says Kim as he describes the countless disappointments he encountered in the search for Linkflow’s first partnerships.

“Once we left the cradle of Samsung, we were essentially nobody. Initially, there wasn’t a single company – investor or supplier – that was willing to work with us,” Kim recalled. “Some wouldn’t even talk to us as they didn’t feel that we were worthy of their time. We barely managed to gather the parts needed for our product.”

“There comes a moment of Zen when rejections don’t bother you anymore,” says Yong-guk Kim, CEO of Linkflow, as he recalls his journey to find the right partners

Even when Linkflow earned opportunities to present their business, it was hard to sway their dubious and skeptical attitudes. Sometimes they just don’t focus, Kim said. “I once gave an entire 10-minute presentation for a potential customer, only to hear him ask back, ‘So, is this a camera?’”

“At first it’s very depressing,” Kim recalled. “You tell yourself ‘it’s just business’ but rejection after rejection, your confidence just drops. Then comes defiance – it’s like ‘let’s see who smiles at the end.’ After even that comes a state of Zen. You just keep going until you get a result.”

Though they only got their first funding in their umpteenth meeting and partners in other business aspects were just as difficult to come by, the emotional roller coaster ride resulted in success and Linkflow has found its share of partners. Kim says that the experience made the team a bit wiser: “You grow a feel for whom to contact. Larger companies have various divisions that look after different parts of their businesses and you have to ask yourself: ‘who would need our technology the most?’ For us, managers of technology partnerships proved most fruitful.”

Developing as a Work-in-progress

Ever since its C-Lab days, Linkflow was confident in their unique product concept. But their source of pride was also the reason that made the process difficult. “We didn’t have anything to reference, or anyone to ask for advice,” said Junse Kim, head of product design, Linkflow. “We took the trial-and-error approach. We would quickly build a prototype, dog-food it, collect feedback and improve the device – again and again.”

“Many companies miss the opportunity to share their product concepts because they focus too much on polishing their devices,” Yong-guk points out. “Of course it’s important to provide quality products but as a start-up, you want to make sure your product is relevant. And the surest way to ensure that is to ask the final judge of it all – your customers. Timing – when to show the world what you want to do – is key.”

One of the first working prototypes shows that FITT360 was initially conceived as a head band the sat on the ears

FITT360 actually started out as a head band the sat on the ears, but was eventually modified to a neck band as a result of such trial-and-error. Part of the reason was for functionality – good height and stability. Sitting on the neck, the cameras can capture the surroundings from an optimal view – very close to eye-level. It is also less susceptible to motion and vibration as the neck and shoulders move much less than the head.

Another part was to prevent it from offending other people. A device that resembles the form of a pair of glasses or an earphone could seem like a surveillance device and people could get the impression that they are being watched – they don’t like that at all.

Even after settling on the neck band form factor, the FITT360 went through numerous modifications based on various user feedback. “One example? Detachable cameras and battery,” said Junse. “It made sense after we heard the thoughts but was something we didn’t consider enough in the first three iterations.”

Linkflow is open to catering to the various needs of their potential B2B clients

The enormous amount of suggestions Linkflow still receives are almost overwhelming. “Some policemen asked us to add a siren and flashlight, while military officers asked for a heart rate sensor that can read and share vital signals in real-time,” said Junse. “Since those businesses are mostly B2B, we are considering on creating custom models to meet each group’s specific needs. Besides, policemen, firemen, security guards… their uniforms are all different – buttons, shoulder boards, collars, measurements and all – so we need to customize the neck band designs anyway.”

Linkflow believes that this kind of flexibility will help them continue to grow.

Pursuing Continuous Growth

Many start-up businesses decide that survival is enough and seek to maintain status quo once they see a stable business. “Instead, you have to push further,” says Yong-guk. “Samsung’s C-Lab initiative encourages you to keep digging for new ideas and that, I think, is what got us to where we are.” And that is what Linkflow plans to continue to do.

“Competitors can copy the shell of our product but they don’t know how and why we changed each nook and cranny of FITT360 – and details matter,” stresses Yong-guk. “Coming from Samsung, we plan to adopt the same rapid-development strategy you can see in Samsung’s products. We start preparing the next-generation model right after mass production hits, so that by the time your competitors offer something similar, we’re already unveiling the upgraded version and providing the previous one at a better price.” Linkflow believes that better technologies and new ideas will continue to give them the edge and that will help catapult them to the top of the industry.

When first starting the company, Yong-guk Kim asked himself: ‘Will there be another opportunity for me to run a company?’ It was then he decided that he’d do his absolute best to make sure he builds a company that employees enjoy working for

The ultimate goal is to go beyond 360-degree cameras and become a household brand in the content creation industry. “C-Lab provides a strong and systematic support network that helps lay down the foundations and goals of running a business. That’s why we were able to continue to pull through and continue to push further.”

This article is the fourth of a four-part series to celebrate the three-year anniversary of the C-Lab spin-off program. For more information, tap the image below:

Summary

• Yongsoo Jeong, CEO of Mangoslab, made up his mind to leave Samsung Electronics to launch his own spin-off after deciding he had the right people
• Mangoslab’s flagship product ‘nemonic,’ a mini printer that merges digital technology into the analogue experience of sticky notes, started from a project within Samsung but evolved into so much more after continuous input from the experts that Jeong assembled
• Mangoslab continues to enhance nemonic’s user experiences, listening to their loyal customers’ advice
• Jeong hopes to eventually part ways with his partners, smiling as he would help them spin their own businesses off

Yongsoo Jeong was stuck in a dilemma – Should I continue to work at Samsung Electronics or start my own company? Jeong reached out to people who had the same mindset as himself and sought advice.

Jinah Kim, a colleague he previously worked with, remained optimistic even when his current C-Lab project fell through. Sangyeon Kim, a software developer whom Jeong met through a friend, maintained his friendly approach. Hanjun Ko, who had the least idea what he’s signing up for, says he didn’t have a hard time deciding to join Jeong for the spin-off. “When we finished our conversation, I was ready to be a part of the team because of the mindset that he had. I knew that I could work with someone who can think outside of the box.”

Four early members of Mangoslab, creators of nemonic

In 2016, Jeong was ready and he took a leap of faith. And so together with Kim, Kim and Ko, he launched Mangoslab from an internal C-Lab project into an independent startup.

The Flagship Product – nemonic

Since spinning off from Samsung Electronics, Mangoslab has already built an impressive resume. nemonic, the company’s first product received the CES 2017 Best of Innovation Award in the Computer Accessories category. It also won Grand Prix at the Tokyo International Gift Show Spring 2018. Subsequently, Mangoslab saw its sales rapidly rise, motivating the team to keep their efforts going and growing.

nemonic is off to a great start

Mangoslab’s first flagship product, “nemonic,” is a device that instantly prints three-by-three-inch sticky notes from smartphones and tablets. Jeong and his team mapped out a vision for an evolution of the sticky note to fit the digital age; an experience that would transcend the divide in analogue and digital experiences. nemonic allows users to organize all or part of their ideas and reminders, print it out, attach it where they desire and further scribble on it as the need presents itself.

Building on planning and experience from an idea that was initially started within Samsung Electronics, Mangoslab was determined to bear the torch so many colleagues had toiled for and see the project through. When asked how the company quickly took off in just two years, Jeong said, “We built a team of experts and then trusted them wholeheartedly, focusing on supporting what they are good at.”

Fervent Recruiting

Mangoslab believes in the power of people – almost to a fault. “The starting members including myself knew that the spin-off would never make it if we had to do everything by ourselves,” said Jinah Kim, Mangoslab’s Director of Design. “We needed to survive first and in order to lead our spin-off to success, we needed more talent, experts in each respective field, to grow our company.”

Jeong looks back at the rocky recruiting process. “I had years of experience in product development from my years with Samsung Electronics. But I was not at all prepared when issues began to arise during the mass production process. So we sought to hire an expert who had decades of experience in the manufacturing field,” said Jeong. “For Sales and Marketing,” he recalls, “we found a former CEO that had his name all over the job.” The middle-aged manufacturing veteran, in his 50s, took a lot of persuading to work with people decades younger than he. As for the sales-expert-slash-ex-CEO, who was about to go on a multi-year voyage around the world, Jeong went on to literally beg him to push off his planned expedition and join Mangoslab’s cause.

Employees spell out M, for Mangoslab, with their fingers in front of their office in Pangyo, Korea

Other recruits, who were asked to join a startup with not much guarantee, required similar degrees of due diligence. When asked what they’re expected of, Jeong simply says: “Keep doing what you do best.” Today, thanks to Jeong and the company’s continuous efforts, Mangoslab employs 23 members – three additional Samsung Electronics alumni and sixteen ‘external’ recruits – and the company prides itself in having zero dropouts (so far).

Full Empowerment

Similar to their recruiting philosophy, Mangoslab says they believe in letting their people do their jobs. Each person in a small company is the driving force for their cause and Mangoslab’s leaders are determined to see this idea through.

“I realized that it’s better to let each team make decisions like an individual startup,” says Jeong. “You need to let the managers enjoy what they’re doing. A big part of that is relieving them of bureaucratic processes. So for each team, we have a leader that makes decisions and about four members per team to share the burden and learn from each other.”

For example, nemonic is the only mini-printer in the market with a 3-inch module while competing products use a cost-efficient 2-inch module – the result of a product planner’s market insight; a 21 year-old marketer spearheaded a local awareness campaign on social media – an initiative that may not have made it through layers of bureaucracy many office workers run into; the charismatic director of manufacturing was left free to literally run around the factory in his sleeveless undershirt, solving problems as they sprouted.

A very successful awareness campaign involved printing out over 2,000 notes on nemonic to put together a mosaic of a popular comedian

The expertise-comes-first philosophy also manifested itself in product design. Mangoslab initially focused on developing a product that is easy to manufacture. But as the experienced designer attested to providing a premium experience, management agreed to changing the design despite the additional components and steps in assembly it would invoke. As a result, nemonic adopted an unprecedentedly high quality automatic cutter that gives you a clean square finish instead of tear-off edges like cash register receipts. It also features a patented technology that straightens the prints so they don’t curl up.

The top side of nemonic printers are designed so the curves interlock for all four directions

Similarly, the final product features a curvy top rather than a flat square. Jeong trusted the designer’s expertise and decided to go with the design that resembles the shape of swirling paper, reminding the main element that the printer itself symbolizes. Last year, nemonic nabbed the Good Design Award at the Design Intelligence Award ceremony.

Focus on People – Customers, Also

Another important pillar in Mangoslab’s philosophy is sincerity. Jeong and his team are fixated on listening to what their loyal customers have to say. Ideas for updates and additional products have sprung from this process.

“A user who was preparing for the National Teacher Certification Exam in Korea left a request on our homepage,” Jinah recalls. “She was using our product to print test questions she got wrong and make notes for future reference. She wanted us to create a dedicated feature for that.”

Mangoslab created designated apps and features to help students keep track of test problems they answered incorrectly

It’s a popular practice in Korea and Japan to keep a record of the wrong answers a student made in standardized tests. This rang a bell for the Mangoslab and they decided to pursue the idea that resulted in a separate app  helping users separate the desired content from the white background and allowing them to print out clear copies of problems from the tests they took.

The software team also found that some users were business owners who wanted to print quick notes, with personalized messages for their customers, to slap on their deliveries. Some café owners used nemonic instead of industrial point-of-sales systems, to instantly print incoming orders for their baristas – notes that can then be stuck on beverage cups to prevent mix-up.

Ultimate Goal: to Spin Off Mangoslab’s Own Startups

While it may sound uncanny for a startup with 23 employees, CEO Yongsoo Jeong stresses that the main goal for his company is to part ways with each other, smiling. The starting members agreed on three major goals when spinning off from Samsung Electronics. The second and third goals are to create products that consumers love from their hearts and to make nemonic a household brand in the mini printer market.

“The first and most important goal is to part ways smiling,” says Jeong. “If our employees want to leave, we want them to do so knowing that they’ve accomplished their share here and are appreciated. Most ideally, I want to commission them with their own businesses – like how Samsung helped me establish my own business. I learned about entrepreneurship with my C-Lab project and wish to bless my employees with the same kind of opportunity.”

This article is the second of a four-part series to celebrate the three-year anniversary of the C-Lab spin-off program. For more information, tap the image below:

The initiative is a good example of how Samsung’s technology and Global Corporate Citizenship Goals, which seek to promote education, employment and health, are contributing to creating a more inclusive society. And with technology a key part of so many industries today, the MolenGeek initiative demonstrates how Samsung is working to foster the technical entrepreneurship of young people as part of its citizenship aims.

Cultivating Change in Molenbeek

To support MolenGeek, Samsung has joined forces with the initiative’s dynamic team of founders as well as the Belgian government, to provide young aspiring entrepreneurs in Molenbeek with the space and resources to launch their own innovative startups. As a community previously linked to radicalism and disenfranchised youth, the initiative, seeks to provide a positive answer to the past negative outlook of the neighborhood.

In addition to providing technical and financial support to MolenGeek, Samsung has helped to establish a professional coding school to train young programmers. Samsung employees also actively participate in organizing events such as Hackathons and an Internet of Things (IoT) Challenge to provide mentorship for Molenbeek’s future digital entrepreneurs.

“In a logic of co-creation, Samsung’s support helps MolenGeek and its participants by making accessible a whole new world of technologies. Participants can now have access to the latest technologies for free. They also have access to a new way of skills acquisition based on learning by doing,” said Julie Foulon, who is one of the co-founders of MolenGeek.

As result of events like the Hackathons, brilliant startups have been created such as CitizenMap in April 2016. This was right after the terrorist attack in Brussels, which was thought to have been connected to radicalized youngsters in the district of Molenbeek. To contribute to the improvement of the emergency services, the creators of CitizenMap interviewed first aid and emergency services in Brussels to understand the IT challenges of the city, next collecting and mapping all the defibrillators in Belgium. A year later, in May 2017, CitizenMap was launched for a trial run with the Red Cross prior to its official release.

Incubating Startups

To date, the MolenGeek initiative has incubated 25 startups such as T-IL and QuickLyric. T-IL is an alternative tourism app based on the interests of its users. According to users’ tastes and preferences, T-IL recommends tourist spots when users travel in a specific country. QuickLyric allows users to download instantly the lyrics of the songs they are listening to, no matter what source they are using: Spotify, MP3, Deezer, Google Music or even radio. After almost six months, QuickLyric has registered over 500,000 downloads and is used in over 20 countries in more than 20 languages.

“MolenGeek is a best practice on how we can give young people a positive perspective for their future in a world that is increasingly digital and fast-evolving. This is a success story that the world needs to know,” said Alexander De Croo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation of Belgium in his opening remarks during the presentation to the UNGA.

For Samsung and the partners behind MolenGeek, the success so far is only the beginning. More exciting results and innovations are expected ahead which will hopefully bring further positive impact to the lives of Molenbeek’s young people.

Today, no one day is alike. I can be diagramming a new idea, not tasked by anyone, in the morning, vigorously debating its feasibility with senior engineers alongside fresh-out-of university staff a few hours later, and then tinkering with the idea in the lab by the end of the day.

I credit this change to C-Lab.

Seung-ryong Jeon, Creative Leader of C-Lab, C-Lab participant in 2016 and creator of the T.O.B project

When you think startup, the first images that likely pop to mind are makeshift groups of fresh, enthusiastic innovators, entrepreneurs, and engineers dreaming of creative ideas, and pouring their passions to bring their ideas to life.

While scenes like this may be expected in the Silicon Valley’s or New York’s of the world, they might seem too difficult to imagine, much the less instil, at large and complex, multi-layered corporations with extensive webs of stakeholders. Or might such implementation require a spirit of adventure to be sure, and willingness to view failures as opportunities, but be a radical vision for how an organization can keep brewing innovation for the future? At Samsung, a unique startup culture has taken root in both spirit and implementation thanks to a progressive new structural and innovation-breeding initiative known as C-Lab.

A Season of Deep Introspection

In Samsung’s growth into a technology leader, the company has, throughout its history, always taken time to introspect. Growing into one of the leading technology companies is a course filled with obstacles, requiring the ability to read into a complex mix of innovation, consumer, and societal trends. At Samsung, these seasons of introspection, have long been marked by concerted efforts to take a step back and appraise the bigger picture, and then move decisively.

In the late 2000s, it was clear that the world around Samsung, and even the company itself, had changed dramatically over the space of the previous decade. While the company was continuing to grow with its brand recognized as a leader around the world and its products constantly at the top of their lists, Samsung and its leadership realized a season of deep introspection was needed to understand the changes, and then cast course for the years ahead.

The company also realized that it had tended to concentrate its efforts in one direction – whether that was smartphones or TVs, for example. However, industry trends had subtly shifted in a new direction with the ability to be flexible, and diversify based on wider trends the real key to success and survival.

In the tech industry, new leaders are emerging every few years. This often comes at the expense of legacy manufacturers who struggle to remain relevant. It was through its period of introspection that Samsung identified the need for disruptive innovation. In its conception of disruptive innovation, Samsung leaders also took keen notice of a business model which was gaining popularity in innovation hubs like Silicon Valley:

“When we took time to study innovation in Silicon Valley, including visits there, we, of course, were wowed by the innovative products and skilled and accomplished talent seeming to flood out of what really is a small community. But sifting through the wow factor, and searching to the core of what was driving innovation there, we had to look beyond the resumes, shared office setups, and even ecosystem of innovation mixed with entrepreneurship – as important as all these are. In so doing, we understood the core of why Silicon Valley was on the cutting-edge. There, the companies’ own employees were set up as catalysts to drive innovation. And then, we thought, why not at Samsung?”

Jaiil Lee, Vice President, Samsung Creativity & Innovation Center

Weaving together these insights, the Samsung C-Lab was born in 2012.

Disruptive Innovation

At core, Samsung’s C-Lab is an innovation program that helps employees to nurture their own creative business ideas. It encourages employees to create their own ideas and receive the resources and time to develop them. Its vision is to effect disruptive innovation at Samsung, instilling a spirit of adventure and startup culture throughout the company. The C-Lab isn’t a sideline. It’s not meant as an extracurricular program. It’s a strategic driver intended to shift the future paradigm of how Samsung operates for the years to come.

The birth of the C-Lab didn’t just signal the arrival of a new program. It also ushered in a new way of working that wasn’t seen at Samsung before.

[Hybrid Innovation]

The existing structure had strong leadership and uniform culture. But by incorporating the traits of a smaller startup, the effect was getting the best of both worlds. A challenger spirit and fast implementation was encouraged, with the result, a hybrid innovation structure.

There was also the addition of a holacracy whereby there’s no hierarchy. Instead, a leader distributes power across project members in a simple organizational structure. Those who are proposing the ideas also have the power to staff their own teams. In fact, they can even recruit from outside of Samsung if they can’t find the right resources in-house. Workers operate in a flexible work environment. Failure is honorable if the employees are able to learn from them.

“A lot of people tend to think that a great idea will lead to a successful project. However, for a project to succeed, you not only need a great idea, but also the craftsmanship and execution to continuously develop the idea. Everybody has an idea. The idea will pass by if you don’t take action and get it evaluated, analyzed and transformed. C-Lab provides an ideal, and wholly unique, environment to transform ideas into real-life innovations.”

Hyunchul Choi, CEO, Innomdle Lab, C-Lab participant in 2014 and creator of the TipTalk project

Showcasing Innovation

The entire C-Lab procedure works like this. It begins with the idea discovery phase. This includes idea suggestions that Samsung welcomes throughout the year. Employees are also invited to a pitching day to explain the concepts they would like to develop.

The concept stage is next, which includes team building and mentoring. Then comes prototyping, followed by concept validation. Here, the employees showcase their products at global events. If successful, the final stage is the exit stage. At this point, the businesses can remain under the Samsung umbrella or they can become separate spin-off companies.

[C-lab Procedure]

Because of the way C-Lab is structured, nearly any idea, irrespective of whether the idea fits into a current Samsung business or product scope is fair game as long as the team working on the idea can prove its merits. This sort of structuring has led to a ‘creative diversity’ of C-Lab ideas across unique categories, many never previously explored by Samsung.

[C-Lab Categories]

Success Stories, Backed by Numbers

In the five years that C-Lab has been in operation, an exciting stream of successful projects have emerged. For example, there’s eyeCan – the eye-controlled mouse for those with disabilities. There’s also the hat that can detect signs of stroke, the sensor that can detect smells, and TipTalk – the wrist strap that enables users to make phone calls by putting their fingertips to their ears. Other ideas include RINK – the mobile VR controller, the smart belt WELT, and Mr. VR – the VR enhancing headphones.

[C-Lab Achievements in Numbers]

Of the 127 completed projects, 45% have been transferred to a Samsung business department. Another 35% of projects were completed and wound up. The final portion of projects are the 20% that have become spin-off companies. In 2015, C-Lab introduced its spin-off policy whereby the most promising projects are launched as fully-fledged external startups. So far, 25 projects have taken this exit route, with ambitious targets for the future.

[Exit Status of C-Lab Projects]

Startup Spirit Reverberating Throughout Samsung

So after five years of operation, has the whole C-Lab project been worthwhile? The startup spirit reverberating throughout Samsung speaks for itself, enabling employees to be more than just employees. They’re creatives, idea generators, adventurers. Applications to participate in the annual C-Lab contest have increased year-upon-year, with around 2000 employees applying in 2016. Additionally, attendance by Samsung employees at the internal C-Lab Fair where teams showcase their works reached 6,800 last year.

There’s no doubt that C-Lab projects are making a major impact globally, but perhaps even more special, has been  employees carrying their passion back to their own business units. Knowing they can do extraordinary things with their own projects, this new sense of excitement from employees is tangible on how they can contribute to their day-to-day tasks. That is a big benefit for Samsung at large and the future of its products.

“When I participated in the C-Lab program in 2015, I remember colleagues from my department would pepper me with questions about what I was working on and how quickly my project seemed to be moving along. I know that my teammates as well as other participants in the C-Lab program were receiving the same inquiries and attention. It wasn’t just during the program either, but even after I returned to my unit, I’ve been able to adapt the quick on your feet thinking and implementation-focused approach of C-Lab into my current work as well as among my team members.”

Yongjin Cho, Senior Engineer, Wearable H/W R&D Group, C-Lab participant in 2015 and creator of the Rink project

Thanks to C-Lab, a new spirit of adventure and creativity is now reverberating throughout Samsung with optimism brimming about what’s more to come. Projects have gone from humble beginnings to standout independent successes, participants are spreading the spirit of C-Lab back to their business units, and more and more Samsung employees are seeking to participate for themselves. As C-Lab and Samsung head into the future, it will be exciting to see what unfolds from this new spirit of adventure in what’s next to come.

Created in December 2012, C-Lab is a startup business program that nurtures a creative organizational culture and innovative ideas among Samsung employees. Since its inception, 25 C-Lab projects have turned their ideas into businesses.

“There are already 25 C-Lab alumni startups which have hired about 100 employees after independence from Samsung Electronics,” said Jaiil Lee, Vice President and Head of the Creativity & Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics. “These figures demonstrate how C-Lab startups are growing at a brisk pace and nurturing a new startup ecosystem within Samsung.”

The five C-Lab projects that were selected this year are applying innovative thinking and cutting-edge technology to products for beauty, kids and other daily uses. The five products honored this year include:

• Bebefit – Baby carriers that protect infants in an easy and smart way

• chikapong – Kids’ Toothbrushes that help kids develop healthy dental habits

• TagPlus – Internet-connected devices for kids that connect to toys

• S-Skin – Home skin care solutions that help analyze and care for skin at the same time

• Lumini – Portable Devices that recommend cosmetics based on skin analysis

The five teams introduced their products at ABC Kids Expo 2016 as well as CES 2017 drawing the attention of industry insiders. As the five teams become independent from Samsung Electronics, they are incorporating feedback from consumers and industry experts to improve their products.

C-Lab alumni startups have experienced tremendous success and growth in recent years. SketchOn Inc. was globally recognized as a startup with enormous potential after it was ranked fourth – the highest a Korean startup has ever achieved – at Slush 2016, the largest startup conference in Europe. In addition, Salted Venture Inc., Innomdle Lab and WELT Inc. far exceeded their targeted funding goals on the global crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter and plan to introduce their products to the market very soon.

Samsung NEXT first began as a small operation with a mission to create breakout software and services and foster a startup culture at Samsung. Deeply rooted in startup ecosystems around the world, Samsung NEXT has evolved into a global organization of entrepreneurs, engineers, investors, strategists and business development leaders all working to realize its vision in close partnership with innovators everywhere.

“Since we started, our focus has been on identifying talented entrepreneurs and accelerating their development into groundbreaking startups — whether in Silicon Valley, New York, Tel Aviv or beyond,” said David Eun, President of Samsung NEXT.  “In addition to capital and access to diverse expertise, we provide a proven pathway to Samsung’s global reach of consumer electronics, partners and vast resources. The best innovators deserve and will increasingly require this type of specialized support to create leading software and services now and in the future.”

Continuing its dedication to entrepreneurs and startups, Samsung NEXT will partner with tech innovators around the world and empower them with the tools and resources they need for accelerated business growth and success. In addition to funding and resources along with workspaces and domain expertise, Samsung NEXT’s support includes growth opportunities, mergers and acquisitions and partnerships to enrich consumer experiences across Samsung’s increasingly connected displays and devices.

A Rebrand Focused on Clarity of Vision

Taking a key step in line with its vision, Samsung NEXT also announced at CES  the creation of the Samsung NEXT Fund, a $150 million venture capital investment fund, to increase Samsung’s global support of early stage startups pursuing advanced software and services innovation.

To coincide with the launch of the Fund, Samsung NEXT unveiled its rebrand – to simplify its identity and clarify its vision – with the release of a new logo and website.

“The new name resonates with our passion and dedication for partnering with tech innovators to take them to the NEXT level,” explained Sayo Martin, Head of Marketing at Samsung NEXT.  “The new logo—represented by an arrow (symbolizing innovation) moving forward through open gates (Samsung)—reflects our mission to turn great ideas into products, grow products into thriving businesses, and scale businesses that leverage and transform the Samsung ecosystem.”

What’s Next for Samsung NEXT?

Samsung NEXT has completed over 50 investments, 15 of which are new investments made under the Samsung NEXT Fund. It will continue to expand in its support for tech innovators around the world across the areas of VR, Connected Cars/Autonomous Driving, Security, Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Mobile Commerce and other new frontier technologies.

“Leading tech entrepreneurs have a genuine passion for tackling complex problems with incredible speed and agility,” said Eun. “For Samsung to continue evolving and innovating, we believe integrating the best of startup culture into our cultural DNA is essential.”

Please stay tuned for more updates ahead.

Samsung has always strived to inspire the world and create the future, and Samsung Global Innovation Center (GIC) has been at the forefront of the company’s support for innovation since its launch in 2013. CES 2017 will see the beginning of the next era, as the new name for GIC will be unveiled as Samsung NEXT.

Continuing its dedication to entrepreneurs and startups, Samsung NEXT will partner with tech innovators around the world and empower them with whatever they need to go further, faster. And for the first time at CES 2017 Eureka Startup Park, Samsung NEXT will showcase companies in its portfolio that are pushing boundaries with new frontier technologies and innovative solutions.

Lotik

Lotik uses non-intrusive wireless water sensors, point-of-use water monitoring, and metering to track usage and detect plumbing risks before they happen. It helps save water and increases water usage transparency.

UniKey

UniKey was built with the aspiration of revolutionizing the humble key. Now UniKey is the world’s most powerful access control platform. The company deploys access control products on a proven, scaled and secure platform.

Baobab Studios

Baobab Studios is an animation company that creates compelling stories, believable characters, immersive worlds, beautiful art, and high-quality animation all through Virtual Reality. Co-founder, Maureen Fan was named one of Ad Age’s “Top 50 Creative People of the Year” in 2016, and one of the “Top 20 Female Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2017” by CIO.

BioBeats

BioBeats is a family of wellbeing and coaching products that help users to manage their health and productivity. It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to create simple enterprise and personal wellness solutions.

Filament

Filament helps companies become fully fledged connected businesses, with physical assets they can control and monitor digitally. It helps companies roll out sensors across an IoT network – all without the need for Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.

Mapzen

Mapzen is an open, sustainable, and accessible platform for using maps in any type of application including automotive, AR, VR, and games. It lets users display, search, and navigate the world.

Otto Radio

Otto Radio curates spoken content such as podcasts from over 35,000 shows and news from over 1,000 sources based on the user’s interests.

Branch

Branch is a powerful infrastructure built for mobile app developers and marketers and used by some of the world’s leading tech, media and consumer brands. With the company’s deep linking technology and personalized app experiences, it helps increase mobile conversion, retention, and engagement by connecting users to relevant app content.

LiquidSky Software

LiquidSky enables high-performance gaming on any device – whether it’s an Android, Windows, Mac or Linux machine. Gamers access a top-end gaming PC using proprietary cloud and streaming technology that delivers low latency and high performance graphics.

Along with the showcase of these outstanding companies, Samsung also announced the creation of the Samsung NEXT Fund – a $150M venture capital investment fund to increase Samsung’s global support of startups. The Fund enables Samsung to further build upon its multi-stage global innovation platform and empower tech entrepreneurs with funding, resources and deep-domain expertise. Through this virtuous cycle, Samsung NEXT will continue to build, grow and scale startups worldwide and empower entrepreneurs to reach the next level.

Samsung Electronics announced that it will support three of its current C-Lab (Creative Lab) projects as fully-fledged startups, with the goal of each company’s products and services going live by the first half of next year. The C-Lab, established at the end of 2012, is one of Samsung’s primary Innovation Programs, and helps its employees to nurture creative business ideas.

The three projects to be launched as startups are:

• TipTalk – a remarkable new UX that that can recognize sounds through body parts, with potential applications in the wearable device sector
• IoFIT – a new prototype ‘smart shoes solution’ that can correct a person’s gait and body posture, with potential applications in the healthcare and wellness sectors
• WalkON – a new app and mobile platform that makes walking more fun, by rewarding people with vouchers from brand partners when they achieve a target number of steps

“Samsung has always strived to both attract and support innovative talent, and provide them the opportunities they deserve to bring their ideas to life,” said Jaiil Lee, Vice President and Head of the Creativity and Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics. “Now, we want to go even further and invest in the vision of our entrepreneurial employees, helping them to start their own business journey.”

As nine employees from the startups leave Samsung, they will establish an independent company . Samsung will provide counsel by sharing its technology and management expertise with each company during the early stages of their business lifecycle, ensuring stable growth and guaranteeing the independence and freedom of each startup’s management team.

Employees also have the option to formally re-join Samsung.

Samsung believes that the initiative to turn the C-Lab projects into startups will further encourage staff to develop creative ideas. The C-Lab, which was founded to encourage and foster creative thinking and a creative culture throughout the company, has so far supported more than 100 projects.