[SeoulTech x Dong-A.com Joint Planning] Seoul National University of Science and Technology (hereafter SeoulTech) operates various support programs to aid the growth of startups, including preliminary and early-stage startup packages, maker spaces, and global collaboration. Furthermore, in partnership with Dong-A.com, it provides global news to assist startups in overseas promotion and expansion, introducing promising deep-tech startups domestically and internationally.
- The company name 'Corca' is quite unique. What does it mean? Also, what is the background of founding an AI startup?
: I have been involved in projects for people, organizations, and companies that do not benefit from technological advancements. Before founding the company, I worked on projects to assist people with disabilities using technology and served as a professor at New York University in Shanghai.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I returned to Korea. Subsequently, I worked on projects to solve corporate problems using AI, which were so successful that it led to the founding of the company in 2021. At that time, I was involved in an AI adoption project for a large retail company, and upon witnessing the reality where AI was not being utilized despite its importance being emphasized, I focused on bridging that gap.
For reference, 'Corca' is derived from 'orca'. It embodies the idea of becoming an AI like an orca, which is at the top of the marine ecosystem yet does not harm humans.
- What are the key features of Corca's core solutions? Specifically, what problems can they solve?
: We are creating solutions that were impossible in the past but are now feasible due to generative AI. The first representative product is 'Moonlight'. It is an AI PDF reader for researchers that uses AI technology to explain the content of academic papers, helping researchers understand papers more quickly and deeply, ultimately reducing the time spent on research effectively. It acts as a research colleague when conducting research.
- There were PDF readers and calendar apps before. What differentiates Corca's solutions?
: We have incorporated many features that can only be implemented with generative AI. Even with Moonlight, it has many features that were almost impossible with existing PDF readers. For example, the auto-highlight feature allows the LLM to read ahead of researchers and highlight important parts with a highlighter.
When there is a reference paper, it reads it in advance and assesses its relationship with the original paper or whether it is worth reading, providing this information beforehand. You can also ask for comprehensive information about the paper in a conversational manner. It goes beyond a simple tool to act as a genuine research colleague or agent.
- Who are the users of Corca's solutions? How are they utilizing them, and what achievements have they made?
: Moonlight, for example, was developed with the goal of promoting the advancement of human civilization using technology. It is widely used in educational settings, including universities, graduate students, and professors, as well as in government-funded research institutes.
On the 30th of last month, a satellite-related service company purchased Moonlight. It is a company involved in satellite terminals, space technology, low Earth orbit, and geostationary satellites. We believe our customers are contributing to the advancement of science and technology in various fields such as mathematics, biology, and space.
For reference, Moonlight's sales increased fourfold in the fourth quarter of last year, and then by 5.8 times in the first and second quarters of this year. It is growing very rapidly, and Trace aims to increase threefold compared to the previous quarter in the third quarter of this year.
Currently, Moonlight is already being used by users in over 100 countries. Researchers from various countries, including the United States, China, Japan, and Europe, are actively using it.
- It is heard that you participated in the global corporate collaboration program organized by SeoulTech. What specific assistance did you receive?
: Through a project with SeoulTech and AWS (Amazon Web Services), we were able to participate in the 'IVS' startup conference in Kyoto, Japan, in July, and the following week, we visited the AWS headquarters in Tokyo.
IVS is one of the largest and oldest startup events in Japan, where we had conversations with people from the startup ecosystem and interacted with VC representatives. We are also forming partnerships for entry into the Japanese market, including follow-up meetings with people we met there. It was truly a great help, and we plan to expand further to achieve tangible results.
- Running a startup is very challenging. Especially in the AI industry, where competition is intense, it must have been even more difficult. How are you overcoming these challenges?
: The rapid pace of AI development makes it most challenging to keep up with its direction. With many AI tools emerging, traditional roles like developer and planner are being disrupted, and it is problematic that investments are concentrated only in some well-known AI companies.
The organizational structure is also changing significantly, and we are restructuring our organization to fit this. There are parts where we are going in ways that did not exist before, so taking on challenges and risks is the most difficult aspect.
There is also the issue of manpower, as skilled individuals sometimes start their own businesses. Therefore, we need to provide better conditions, creating an environment where challenges and growth are possible, and establishing a transparent reward system is challenging. Thus, we offer paid AI services exceeding a monthly fee of $200 for unlimited use to anyone who wants, regardless of whether they are developers or non-developers.
AI-translated with ChatGPT. Provided as is; original Korean text prevails.
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