[For more diverse corporate information on the startup featured in this article, please visit the Unicorn Factory big data platform 'Data Lab'.]
"If even a single cancer cell is present at the time of blood collection, we will not miss it; we will capture and extract it for analysis. Simultaneously, we will read out what therapeutic targets that cancer cell possesses."
Ryu Dong-hwan (CEO) of LMNTIC BIOTECH, a student-founded startup from DGIST, stated, "While there are many good technologies for handling cells, tools used routinely in hospitals, particularly in the liquid biopsy field, are still lacking. We aim to turn single-cell technology that completes all processes—cell capture, staining, imaging, and identification—on a single chip into a tool for clinical settings, solving the problem of declining cell quality during these stages."
The 'L:Biopsy' developed by LMNTIC BIOTECH is an in vitro diagnostic device that captures, identifies, and recovers circulating tumor cells (CTCs) floating in the blood using a single piece of equipment. The first clinical application area is post-surgical recurrence monitoring (MRD).
Conventional CTC tests require transferring separated cells to slides or other equipment for identification and analysis. According to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) data, 56% to 67% of recovered cells are lost during the transfer process to a slide alone. LMNTIC BIOTECH eliminated this step by fixing captured cells on a chip and performing staining and reading out in place. Identified cells can be extracted in intact condition for protein and genomic analysis.
The underlying technology is the "micro-magnetic cell circuit." It is a technology that transports, traps, and extracts cells attached to magnetic beads on micro-magnetic structures designed like semiconductor circuits, invented by Professor Kim Chul-gi of DGIST. The company secured related registered patents in Korea and the U.S. in February and March of this year through ownership transfer rather than licensing.
According to the company, in a test where breast cancer cell lines were added to 10 mL of whole blood, the recovery rate was approximately 72%, comparable to the literature value (73%) for FDA-certified equipment. It takes about four hours from blood collection to the first image, and centrifugation is not required. The equipment is a single tabletop unit weighing approximately 50 kg, making it smaller and easier to install than competing equipment consisting of two to three units.
Clinical entry has also begun. Clinical validation to verify performance with actual patient blood is being promoted in collaboration with domestic tertiary general hospitals.
The business will be advanced in stages. Before obtaining regulatory approval, revenue will be generated through the sale of research equipment and chips, as well as contract analysis for pharmaceutical companies. Subsequently, the company plans to expand into testing services (LDT) by collaborating with U.S. CLIA-certified testing institutional investors, before pursuing insurance reimbursement listing and FDA approval. The cumulative amount of investment raised is 500 million won, and the company is currently raising a Pre-Series A investment of 3 billion won.
Ryu Dong-hwan (CEO) said, "It is commonly accepted that 'losing some cells during single-cell analysis is unavoidable,' but it is unacceptable to tolerate the losses endured in research labs in clinical settings for cancer patients." He added, "Since hospital tests must yield the same results regardless of who performs them, every day, we will strive to make the system as robust and easy to use as possible."
Meanwhile, LMNTIC BIOTECH will compete as a representative student-founded startup from DGIST in the finals of the "5th K-Deep Tech Startup King of Kings," to be held on the 30th of this month at Hall B Plus Stage of COEX in Seoul Samsung-dong (Finals Attendance Application: https://forms.gle/McNBqdiBts8RJazVA).
This King of Kings competition, now in its fifth year, has seen the new addition of Korea National University of Science and Technology (KENTECH) to existing participating universities: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), and POSTECH (formerly Pohang University of Science and Technology). It is co-hosted by six science and technology specialized universities and MoneyToday's startup media platform 'Unicorn Factory,' with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Research & Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation.
This year's competition will be held in conjunction with "SMART ENERGY PLUS (SEP) 2026." SEP is an energy-specialized event hosted by the National Assembly Hydrogen Economy Forum and co-organized by MoneyToday and COEX.
A total of 12 teams, six each from the faculty and student startup categories, will advance to the finals. One team in each category will receive the Grand Prize, including an award from the Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology and a startup support fund of 3 million won. This year, the Excellence Award, named after Lee (President) of the Research & Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation, has also been newly established. Four teams receiving the Excellence Award will each be paid a startup support fund of 1 million won, and their award history can be utilized as bonus points or preferential conditions when participating in future foundation support projects. Six teams receiving the Encouragement Award will receive an award from the CEO of MoneyToday and a startup support fund of 500,000 won each.
<Attendance Application for the 5th K-Deep Tech Startup King of Kings>
-Date: October 30 (Fri) 9:30~17:00
-Location: COEX Hall B PLUS STAGE, Seoul
-Target: Deep tech startups and investment VC reviewers
-Hosts: KAIST, DGIST, UNIST, GIST, POSTECH, KENTECH, MoneyToday Unicorn Factory
-Application: https://forms.gle/McNBqdiBts8RJazVA
[MoneyToday startup media platform Unicorn Factory]
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