[Seoul CCEI x IT Donga] Challenge! K-Startup is the largest startup competition in Korea, jointly hosted by 10 government ministries. Among these, the Seoul Center for Creative Economy & Innovation operates the General League of the Innovation Startup League. IT Donga looks into promising startups that have grown together with the Seoul Center for Creative Economy & Innovation.

S-OMNI is a startup that researches and develops total sleep care solutions based on scientific evidence. It provides relaxation therapy, which the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has presented as a suitable non-pharmacological treatment for chronic insomnia, in the form of content that is easily accessible to the general public.

To date, S-OMNI has produced more than 200 pieces of content. Clinical research conducted in collaboration with Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, CHA Bundang Medical Center, and Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary’s Hospital confirmed that the time required to fall asleep decreased by about 55%, while sleep quality and refreshment upon waking each improved by approximately 200%. S-OMNI aims to expand its solution—previously provided mainly to the general public—into an integrated sleep care solution for corporate employees and hospital patients.

S-OMNI applied for “Challenge! K-Startup 2025,” hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Korea Institute of Startup & Entrepreneurship Development, and advanced through the Innovation Startup League (General League) to the integrated main stage, the Startup League. According to S-OMNI, the company received high marks thanks to growing interest in sleep care solutions, its extensive experience, and its track record with large enterprises.

IT Donga met with S-OMNI CEO Yoo Jae-sung to discuss the company’s total sleep care solution and Challenge! K-Startup 2025.


From a sleep care YouTube channel to a startup: S-OMNI

IT Donga: Thank you for joining us, CEO Yoo. Please introduce yourself.

CEO Yoo Jae-sung: Hello, I am Yoo Jae-sung of S-OMNI. I studied Biomedical Science and Engineering at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and Sleep Medicine at the University of Oxford. I obtained certifications related to sleep and mental health care, including Adult Sleep Coach (IASC) from the U.S.-based Institute for Professional Excellence in Health (IPHI) and Mindfulness Guide with the UK Mindfulness Teachers Association (MTA). Since 2018, I have been running a YouTube channel titled “Brainer J’s Good Sleep Journey,” which currently has about 800,000 subscribers. S-OMNI was founded in November 2022.

IT Donga: Both your major and certifications are in the field of sleep care. What first sparked your interest in sleep care?

CEO Yoo: Since my teens, I have suffered from sleep disorders and neurological conditions, and I have been taking medication since I was 20. As a result, I experienced many side effects such as hypersomnia and depression. This led me to become interested in non-pharmacological mental health care, and I chose sleep-related topics for both my academic major and startup items.

IT Donga: Why did you decide to found S-OMNI?

CEO Yoo: S-OMNI is the second company I have founded. Back in 2015, as a student, I launched an SNS-based community related to mental health. At that time, we attracted 3 million members, but the outcome was not good because I lacked understanding of business operations, business models, and the startup ecosystem.

So after much consideration, I decided to shift the business item to sleep-related topics. I had noticed that many of the community members had sleep problems in common. However, because of my previous failure, I was reluctant to start another company right away. I first launched a YouTube channel on the theme of sleep care instead.

While running the YouTube channel from 2018, I felt the need for deeper study. I went back and forth between the United States and the United Kingdom, obtaining qualifications in sleep and mental health care and completing related courses. Based on my academic knowledge, I researched non-pharmacological and non-invasive treatments for sleep improvement and developed content grounded in cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness. The content received strong responses from subscribers, and the subscriber base grew rapidly.

As the channel grew, it became difficult to manage everything alone. I realized that to closely collaborate with experts in various fields such as music and graphics, a corporate structure was necessary. In addition, as more collaboration proposals came from hospitals and large enterprises, I recognized the need to establish a corporation. Consequently, I founded S-OMNI in November 2022.

IT Donga: What kind of company is S-OMNI?

CEO Yoo: S-OMNI is a startup that researches, develops, and provides total sleep care solutions.

The company name comes from the Latin word “SOMNI,” meaning sleep or dream, which we split into “S” and “OMNI.”
“Omni” is Latin for “all” or “entire.” We believe that sleep affects every aspect of an individual’s life, and we chose the name S-OMNI to reflect this idea.


Providing sleep care solutions based on relaxation therapy

IT Donga: Please explain the sleep care solutions that S-OMNI offers.

CEO Yoo: According to a report published in 2024 by global consulting firm McKinsey, the sleep care market is large enough to rank second within the wellness industry, but consumer satisfaction is at the lowest level. McKinsey analyzed the main reasons as the lack of tangible effects and the absence of solutions that provide integrated sleep care.

We are developing solutions that provide integrated sleep care based on relaxation therapy, a scientifically validated treatment method. Relaxation therapy is a non-pharmacological treatment introduced in the clinical guidelines for chronic insomnia issued by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in 2006, and it is currently used in hospitals. We transform this therapy into content that is easy for the general public to access.

Relaxation therapy includes various techniques such as breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, mindfulness (open monitoring), autogenic training, and self-suggestion. Because different methods are effective for different individuals, we also produce a diverse range of content. Over the past eight years, we have created more than 200 pieces of content and uploaded them to our YouTube channel, where they have been well received. On YouTube, our videos have recorded a cumulative 270 million views and more than 210 million hours of watch time.

In April, we also developed an AI sleep coach chatbot. Users can chat with the bot and receive guidance on sleep methods optimized for their current condition. The chatbot was developed by training it on my know-how, based on various relaxation therapies and sleep coaching programs, and we conducted proof-of-concept (PoC) testing with Seoul National University Bundang Hospital. To further enhance user convenience, we plan to add a voice conversation function next year. This will allow users to communicate by voice as if they were talking to a real sleep coach.

IT Donga: How does S-OMNI’s sleep care solution differ from other solutions?

CEO Yoo: Existing sleep care solutions typically involve autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), sleep music, and white noise, but some of these lack scientific evidence and their effectiveness varies widely. Our solution is based on scientific evidence and provides step-by-step guidance that users can follow. It is akin to being coached by a sleep coach. As a result, many individuals with severe insomnia have reported meaningful improvement.

We have also conducted effectiveness verification with major hospitals. In clinical research in collaboration with Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, CHA Bundang Medical Center, and Catholic Kwandong University International St. Mary’s Hospital, the time required to fall asleep decreased by about 55% compared with before using our solution, and sleep quality and refreshment upon waking each improved by approximately 200%. Based on these studies, we published four research papers, two of which appeared in SCI (Science Citation Index) journals. Recently, we conducted a clinical study on patients with chronic tinnitus and confirmed significant improvement not only in tinnitus but also in insomnia and depression.


IT Donga: It is understood that you provide sleep care solutions to various companies.

CEO Yoo: Our sleep care solution is designed for general adults. However, corporate demand has grown significantly. We have provided our solution to Samsung Electronics’ shift workers, guests at Lotte Hotel and Park Roche Resort & Wellness, employees of Lotte Homeshopping and Home&Shopping, and VIP customers of Hyundai Department Store and Lotte Department Store. We also collaborate with SK Broadband, Amorepacific’s Laneige, IKEA, Handok, and others. For corporate clients, we conduct sleep surveys, issue reports based on the results, and then provide tailored content and coaching. In some cases, we visit the companies in person to deliver coaching services.

IT Donga: As a startup, it likely was not easy to collaborate with large corporations.

CEO Yoo: In most cases, they contacted us first. This is thanks to the YouTube channel, which has been operating for a long time and has built a broad subscriber base. Corporate representatives experience benefits from our YouTube content personally, then reach out to explore applying it to their organizations.

Applying for “Challenge! K-Startup 2025” and advancing to the Startup League

IT Donga: S-OMNI applied for Challenge! K-Startup 2025. What motivated this decision?

CEO Yoo: Challenge! K-Startup 2025 is the largest startup competition in Korea. We believed it would be an opportunity to benchmark our current status and gain inspiration by engaging in fair competition with leading startups nationwide. As this is our third year since founding, we also saw it as the last chance to participate and decided to apply.

IT Donga: You advanced through the preliminary Innovation Startup League (General League) to the integrated main stage, the Startup League. What do you see as your competitive strengths that led to this strong performance?

CEO Yoo: Internally, we see two main factors. First, interest and demand for sleep care have been steadily increasing, so our field attracted more attention than in previous years. Second, we have accumulated a strong track record with corporate clients. Our long-standing user base, as well as collaboration with various corporations and hospitals to validate effectiveness and deliver results, appears to have been instrumental in advancing to the Startup League.

IT Donga: What outcomes did you gain from participating in Challenge! K-Startup?

CEO Yoo: Seeing so many capable startups on site was profoundly motivating. We learned a great deal from founders’ stories, their approach to business, and the passion on display. It was also a valuable opportunity to promote our company and sleep care solutions.

IT Donga: What kind of support did you receive from the Seoul Center for Creative Economy & Innovation, which operated the Innovation Startup League (General League) of Challenge! K-Startup 2025?

CEO Yoo: Since last year, we have participated in various support programs run by the Seoul Center for Creative Economy & Innovation and have built a close relationship. Communication with our program manager has been smooth, and we have received a wide range of support. We were also given opportunities to interact with other startups through meetups and networking events.


Leap into a total sleep care solution company through SOMNIVERSE

IT Donga: Finally, please share your future plans and goals.

CEO Yoo: We are continuously exploring how to advance our sleep care service and business model. “SOMNIVERSE,” which we plan to launch in the first half of next year, is the fruit of these efforts.

SOMNIVERSE is an integrated sleep care platform targeting the B2B market, including companies and hospitals. When corporate employees or hospital patients check their sleep status, SOMNIVERSE provides personalized sleep coaching, content, and sleep aid products based on the results.

We are also preparing a lineup of sleep aid products for SOMNIVERSE. The first product to be released will be an attachment doll for adults. It contains a built-in Bluetooth speaker and is made with materials and a structure designed to provide psychological comfort. We also plan to roll out pillows, bedding, and sleep-related food products in succession. To this end, we are collaborating with a range of companies, including Lotte Homeshopping, GD Corporation, and Asleep.

We aim to use the launch of SOMNIVERSE as a springboard to become a total sleep care solution company. At the same time, we intend to remain faithful to the essence of sleep care, continuing to develop practical integrated solutions grounded in scientifically validated evidence. In the long term, our ultimate goal is to expand beyond sleep care into broader mental health fields, including depression and anxiety.

IT Donga reporter Han Man-hyuk (mh@itdonga.com)

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