[Featured Stock] Kosem Expected to Lead Global Market with World's First Technology Expertise

World's First Desktop Scanning Electron Microscope with 100,000x Magnification Commercialized
Proving Technological Competitiveness in Overseas Markets
High Growth Expected Based on Technology and Price Competitiveness

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) company Kosem surged on its first day of listing.

At 10:31 a.m. on the 23rd, Kosem was trading at 36,400 KRW, up 127.5% from the public offering price of 16,000 KRW. During the session, it even rose to 46,400 KRW.

Kosem, established in 2007, is a developer of SEMs. It possesses outstanding technology, including the world’s first successful development of a tabletop SEM with 100,000x magnification. In 2008, it succeeded in domestic production of electron microscopes, which had previously been entirely dependent on imports. This achievement placed Korea as the fifth country in the world to independently develop and produce electron microscopes.

Kosem has also succeeded in developing the world’s first integrated EDS technology for tabletop scanning electron microscopes, earning New Excellent Technology (NET) certification three times through its unique technology. Currently, it holds 34 domestic patents and 3 overseas patents registered or pending.

In the demand forecast conducted for institutional investors earlier, the competition rate recorded was 1,267.6 to 1, confirming the public offering price at 16,000 KRW. This price exceeded the expected public offering range (12,000 to 14,000 KRW).

A representative from Kiwoom Securities, the lead underwriter, explained, "Amid recent controversies over poor performance of technology-special listing companies, Kosem’s proven technology and growth in performance appear to have had a positive effect." He added, "Kosem’s main product, the scanning electron microscope, is not limited to specific fields but can be applied to various industries utilizing nanotechnology," and analyzed, "Market expectations for future growth have been reflected."

Kosem CEO Lee Junhee said, "The basic science industry has been a difficult market to enter for various reasons, but it is very encouraging that our company is showing remarkable growth alongside the development of the nano industry." He continued, "Since the advancement of basic science strengthens the nation’s power, we will lead the basic science industry through technological advancement such as next-generation electron microscopes and become a global leader in the electron microscope market."

He also emphasized, "With the expansion of the nano industry, the SEM market is expected to continue growing," adding, "We will accelerate our approach to front-end industries such as secondary batteries, semiconductors, and displays to build a company that grows steadily in the mid to long term."

Kosem recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Dinotsia to develop electron microscopes applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Dinotsia provides on-device AI systems and solutions, including large language models (LLM), across various service sectors. Since last year, the two companies have been conducting joint research to combine AI technology with electron microscopes to reduce shooting time and improve image quality. The MOU formalizes product development and research cooperation based on the proof of concept (PoC) results achieved so far.

Yoon Cheolhwan, a researcher at Korea Investment & Securities, analyzed, "Kosem’s source of competitiveness lies in its technology," adding, "By securing charged particle optics technology, it improves distortion through uniform design and enables high-speed scanning." He further emphasized, "It has secured small ion gun design technology to generate a powerful ion beam and optimized the distance between electrodes to maximize etching rates," and "Based on SEM design technology, it has also developed Air-SEM, CP-SEM, etc., securing product scalability."

Choi Jongkyung, a researcher at Heungkuk Securities, explained, "The tabletop SEM product line has secured world-class competitiveness with its core performance of high magnification and reasonable price," and added, "Despite being a newly listed technology growth company, its sound financial structure will be a strong point during investment."