Samsung Opens 'C-Lab Outside' Daegu Campus... A Cradle for Commercialization

Opening Ceremony on the 22nd at Former Cheil Industries Factory Site
Five Healthcare, Robot, and Environment Startups Move In
"Responsible for Managing Ideas to Commercialization"

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Samsung Electronics is expanding its external startup incubation program to regional areas. Starting with Daegu, it will extend to Gwangju, Gyeongbuk, and others. The plan is to support startups that have brilliant ideas but lack funding and business know-how to commercialize them, thereby revitalizing the local economy.

On the 22nd, Samsung Electronics announced that it held the opening ceremony of the C-Lab Outside Daegu Campus at Samsung Creative Campus in Buk-gu, Daegu. The ceremony was attended by Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, People Power Party lawmakers Yang Geum-hee and Lee In-seon, and Kim Wan-pyo, President of Samsung Global Research (formerly Samsung Economic Research Institute), among others.

Mayor Hong said, "I hope the first unicorn company from Daegu will emerge from C-Lab Outside Daegu." President Kim Wan-pyo stated, "We will strive to provide a growth platform for local startups to enter the global market."

Samsung Electronics C-Lab Outside Daegu Campus view. [Photo by Samsung Electronics]

Since 2012, Samsung Electronics has operated C-Lab Inside to nurture in-house ventures, and in 2018 expanded the scope to external startups (C-Lab Outside). Starting this year, it decided to select and nurture outstanding regional companies. As the first step, it opened the C-Lab Outside Daegu program and plans to open campuses in Gwangju and Gyeongbuk soon.

Startups selected for C-Lab Outside in Daegu will receive the same support as the existing C-Lab Outside program without having to move to Seoul. On this day, Samsung Electronics selected five Daegu startups as C-Lab Outside companies. The main participants include 'Neophons,' a medical artificial intelligence (AI) platform company, and 'Claire Odions,' a fetal and maternal health diagnosis app company.

Samsung Electronics C-Lab Outside Daegu Campus meeting room. [Photo by Samsung Electronics]

Over the next year, they will receive up to 100 million KRW in business support funds, customized consulting according to growth stages, and opportunities to collaborate with Samsung Electronics and its affiliates. They will also receive support for participation in domestic and international IT exhibitions such as CES and for developing domestic and overseas sales channels. They can work in office space located at the Daegu Samsung Creative Campus. The Samsung Creative Campus is the site of the Cheil Industries factory used from 1956 until its relocation to Gumi in 1997.

Park Ki-soo, CEO of Neophons, said, "We are pleased to receive support from Samsung Electronics C-Lab," adding, "We will advance technology that predicts diseases through voice and language." Wei Chun, CEO of Claire Odions, said, "This will be a great opportunity to realize our dream of entering the global market."

Since launching C-Lab Inside in 2012, Samsung Electronics has nurtured 856 ventures and startups over 10 years: 391 in-house and 465 external. C-Lab startups have attracted a total investment of 1.36 trillion KRW to date.