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Domestic deep-tech startups are adding "eyes," "ears," and a "brain" to industrial equipment, accelerating the AI transformation (AX) of traditional manufacturing. The trend involves technologies that recognize, analyze, and control unstructured data in real time, reshaping overall process efficiency and safety management.
According to the venture investment industry on the 7th, vision AI startup Superb AI is fully launching its strategy to penetrate the Japanese market. It is reported that Toyota, Denso Ten, Nippon Steel, and others have already adopted Superb AI's technology at their manufacturing sites.
Superb AI has implemented a technology that immediately identifies defective products on-site without separate data labeling, based on the vision foundation model "ZERO," which was pre-trained on vast image data. Furthermore, it is expanding into high-difficulty areas such as automated data segmentation and quality control model construction to drive improvements in process efficiency.
The company is also extending its reach into safety management. It possesses technology capable of real-time detection of safety violations—including failure to wear helmets or vests, intrusion into hazardous zones, worker collapses, and the occurrence of fire or smoke—through video surveillance solutions leveraging existing CCTV infrastructure.
Based on this, Superb AI plans to expand its customer base to include Japanese national research institutions and major electronics manufacturers while strengthening its position in the global manufacturing automation market. In the United States, it is forming partnerships with Hanwha Vision America and Advantech to broaden the scope of solution applications.
Diply is advancing quality inspection methods at manufacturing sites based on "auditory AI." The core of this shift involves moving from reliance on workers' senses or anechoic chamber environments for inspecting actuator and motor drive sounds and wire connector fastening sounds to a data-driven approach.
Diply's developed acoustic AI solution, "ListenAI," integrates with robot arms at the Yangsan LINE and Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), determining quality in under one second per unit. Recently, it has also been introduced into the "Safety Box" fastening process to prevent vehicle battery fires, expanding its reach into industrial safety areas by identifying incomplete or unfastened connections.
A representative domestic adoption case is Hyosung Electric. In February, Diply supplied its industrial acoustic analysis solution, "Listen AI Industrial," to Hyosung Electric. The company plans to expand the application of the same solution not only to existing factories but also to a new factory spanning approximately 9,000 pyeong (29,752 square meters). In the future, it intends to broaden its scope beyond automotive parts to include robots, mobility, and electric vehicle actuators.
The company is also accelerating its global expansion. It has supplied parts quality and fastening sound inspection solutions to a Mexican plant of a global automaker. It has provided acoustic analysis AI technology to the Thailand Automotive Institute and plans to further expand its global sales channels by participating in "Automate," North America's largest automotive industry exhibition, to be held in Chicago, USA.
Technologies that integrate and analyze data across entire factories to make autonomous decisions and optimize processes are being introduced at manufacturing sites, boosting operational efficiency. Bestin Global's intelligent manufacturing solution "AccelVeo," showcased in the North American market, is a prime example.
The agent-based AI solution "AccelVeo" has been adopted by a U.S. manufacturing company, W Corp. It integrates and analyzes production, maintenance, and supply chain data in real time, detecting equipment anomalies in advance to minimize downtime. Additionally, it enhances on-site operational efficiency by automatically adjusting work priorities through AI agents.
Based on this, Bestin Global aims to go beyond digital transformation at manufacturing sites to realize "autonomous operating factories." It also plans to expand the adoption of its solutions among global manufacturing companies, primarily in North America.
Market interest is growing toward technologies that accelerate the AI transformation (AX) of the manufacturing industry. A venture investment industry official stated, "Industrial AI technology has the greatest strength in versatility, as it can be applied across Korea's key industries including semiconductors, automobiles, defense, and shipbuilding." They added, "It is highly valued not only for its technological capabilities but also for its potential for future scale-up, making it one of the sectors currently attracting significant attention from the industry."
[MoneyToday Startup Media Platform Unicorn Factory]
in FUTURE
