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Dipping Sauce is an AI and data security company that has developed AI-based video data anonymization technology. Dipping Sauce's data anonymization technology processes personal information in videos to be non-identifiable while maintaining the data's value. This allows for safe utilization without privacy concerns.

Dipping Sauce has also developed a store caring solution using this technology. The AI monitors stores in real-time, informing about store conditions, inventory status, and areas for improvement, thereby contributing to enhanced store operation efficiency.

Dipping Sauce provides solutions to offline stores such as convenience stores, beauty shops, and department stores, as well as large spaces like COEX and Lotte World. In Japan, it is expanding its business in collaboration with KDDI and Lawson, and plans to establish a Japanese subsidiary in August.

An interview was conducted with Kim Tae-hoon, CEO of Dipping Sauce, regarding data anonymization technology and the store caring solution.


Securing All Data in the World, Dipping Sauce

IT Dong-A: Hello, CEO Kim Tae-hoon. Please introduce yourself first.

CEO Kim Tae-hoon: Hello, I am Kim Tae-hoon from Dipping Sauce. I have developed image recognition and analysis solutions for over 25 years. In 2006, I founded the startup Olaworks. At the time when smartphones were emerging, I developed solutions for recognizing faces or objects with smartphone cameras. Olaworks was acquired by Intel in 2012, and I worked at Intel thereafter.

Seeing the growing importance of personal information protection and data security, I thought there would be competitiveness in developing solutions that protect and analyze data safely in the AI field. Thus, I left Intel and founded Dipping Sauce.

IT Dong-A: What kind of company is Dipping Sauce?

CEO Kim Tae-hoon: Dipping Sauce is an AI and data security company established in 2018. Under the philosophy of 'securing all data in the world,' we provide data anonymization technology and store caring solutions.

The company name was inspired by the food we were eating when we first founded the company. While brainstorming the company name with my co-founder, we happened to be eating nachos with dipping sauce. The name 'Dipping Sauce' stood out to us at that moment. However, the spelling is different. 'Deeping' from 'Deep Learning' and 'Source' meaning source code, origin, or root, were combined to form 'Dipping Sauce,' focusing on data, the root of AI.

AI-based Video Data Anonymization Technology and Store Caring Solution

IT Dong-A: What technologies and solutions has Dipping Sauce developed?

CEO Kim Tae-hoon: We offer store caring solutions based on our proprietary AI-based video data anonymization technology.

First, let me explain the video data anonymization technology. Data anonymization is one of the data de-identification methods, which delivers strong performance but is challenging to develop. It took us three years to develop this technology.

In videos, although there is no information like names or phone numbers, faces appear, which are also personal information. They should not be collected or used without consent. We add noise to make them unidentifiable. However, we do not simply erase faces; the data remains intact. This means personal identification is not possible, but the data value is preserved. As a result, AI can fully recognize and analyze people's positions, movements, and postures.


Among de-identification technologies, there are those that blur or delete face areas. The problem is that AI trained on such data may fail to recognize or malfunction when clear data is input. Our data anonymization technology allows for the safe use of clear data while removing personal information.

There is also a de-identification technology that replaces a person's face with another person's. While this preserves data value, it has limitations in practical use as it is difficult to prove that the face was replaced correctly. Since we add noise to the original data, it is immediately apparent whether de-identification has been processed visually.

IT Dong-A: Please introduce the store caring solution as well.

CEO Kim Tae-hoon: We developed the data anonymization technology about seven years ago. At that time, AI was just emerging, so its applicability was limited. Therefore, we created a solution that could directly utilize this technology.

We found that CCTV was suitable for applying AI technology, which could not be used due to privacy and data security issues. Videos captured by CCTV contain a lot of personal information and cannot be used freely. Although CCTV installed for security purposes is legally permissible, CCTV in stores must have all personal information removed as it is intended for customer monitoring and analysis. Consequently, it was not being fully utilized.

We believed we could solve this problem and launched a video analysis solution in 2021. It is a solution that analyzes customer behavior and movement within the store based on de-identified video data. It detects only the minimum customer characteristics that companies want, providing analysis on the number of visitors, gender ratio, age group, and customer movement under specific conditions.

Reflecting customer needs, we added AI-based services and introduced a store optimization solution early last year. It provides reports on store operation efficiency, inventory management, and customer service improvement plans based on in-store data analysis results and suggests optimization solutions. Later, we enhanced and expanded its functions, upgrading it to a store caring solution that provides real-time optimization plans by the end of last year.


By adopting the store caring solution, store owners can check the store status without visiting in person and receive notifications for necessary actions. It informs store staff of the tasks needed at the moment, such as contaminated areas in the store, missing items on display, or low-stock items. It also suggests store management and improvement plans to franchise headquarters.

When a goal is set, AI can find solutions on its own. For example, if there are many low-stock items and improvement suggestions are requested, it proposes gradually increasing order quantities based on customer visit and purchase data and the situation at other branches of the same franchise.

In essence, the store caring solution acts as a middle manager between store owners and staff, and between store owners and franchise headquarters. Through this, one can experience operating a store efficiently with AI.

IT Dong-A: It seems that data anonymization technology can be applied to various fields beyond store management.

CEO Kim Tae-hoon: That's correct. We have also applied data anonymization technology to safety-related solutions. It is a solution that immediately detects if a factory worker runs in a dangerous area or behaves abnormally compared to usual. It has also been introduced in solutions that monitor for dents, cracks, or damage to facilities. We have built solutions that apply to CCTV near outdoor advertisements in large spaces to check how many passersby view the advertisements.

We plan to test a method soon that identifies specific pedestrian characteristics, predicts movement paths, and plays customized advertisements when the pedestrian passes by an outdoor advertisement. Additionally, inquiries about our anonymization technology continue in the autonomous driving field to comply with personal information protection laws.

Accelerating Expansion into Japan, Subsidiary Establishment Planned for August

IT Dong-A: Please tell us about the current progress of your business.

CEO Kim Tae-hoon: Domestically, we have applied our solutions to numerous offline stores, including convenience stores, beauty shops, and department stores, as well as large spaces like COEX and Lotte World. We are collaborating with well-known companies. Since customer needs vary, we provide solutions tailored to them. We have received positive responses due to the potential for enhancing operational efficiency.

Recently, our business in Japan has been progressing rapidly, and we are focusing on the Japanese market this year. In Japan, we are collaborating with retail and logistics companies centered around KDDI and Lawson. We are also working with top-tier local companies in Japan. As the business continues to expand, we plan to establish a Japanese subsidiary in August and aggressively expand our business.

IT Dong-A: You are currently receiving support from the SeoulTech Global Corporate Collaboration Program. What kind of support have you received?

CEO Kim Tae-hoon: We are participating in the global corporate collaboration program with Amazon Web Services (AWS), through which we have been provided opportunities to participate in various programs such as networking and solution education. We also participated in a startup event held in Japan last July.

Additionally, as part of this program, we are preparing to list our data anonymization solution on the AWS Marketplace. The AWS Marketplace is a digital store where AWS partners can easily purchase and manage solutions, and we expect that companies using AWS solutions will be able to apply our solution more easily.


IT Dong-A: Lastly, please tell us about your future plans and goals.

CEO Kim Tae-hoon: Since AI is rapidly spreading, our goal is to quickly capture the market based on our data anonymization technology. We plan to continuously strive for product stabilization and global expansion.

In the long term, we aim to automate not only the digital world but also the offline world. I expect more fields to become automated in the future. I believe tasks currently handled by humans will be automated through robots. Therefore, our long-term goal is to expand into solutions that automate the offline world. Through this, we want to create an environment where everyone working offline can work comfortably.

IT Dong-A Reporter Han Man-hyuk (mh@itdonga.com)

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