Silicon Valley Semiconductor Company Stratio Establishes Korean Subsidiary ST Labs in Daegu

ST Labs Co., Ltd., a company specializing in near-infrared spectral sensors led by CEO Kim Youngsik, established a corporation at the Suseong Alpha City SW Convergence Tech Biz Center in June and has begun commercializing the mass production of infrared spectrum sensor fabless products, according to Daegu City on the 14th.

Stratio, Inc., headquartered in Silicon Valley, USA, is a near-infrared (SWIR) image sensor developer founded in 2013 by three Stanford Ph.D.s in electrical engineering, including CEO Lee Jaehyung. The company launched the portable spectrometer LinkSquare in 2016 and, at the end of 2022, introduced a low-cost, high-sensitivity near-infrared camera based on its patented germanium-based image sensor technology, continuing to grow on the strength of its differentiated technological capabilities.

Daegu City Hall Sangyeok Office

ST Labs, which recently relocated to Alpha City, was established by CEO Kim Youngsik, one of the co-founders of Stratio, to mass-produce spectrum sensors and enter the market. The company plans to enter the rapidly growing infrared spectrum sensor market, which is expected to see explosive growth in smart home appliances and other sectors, by combining near-infrared spectrum and AI technologies for material analysis.

Daegu City is attracting attention as a new hub for domestic and international semiconductor fabless companies, as it has a wealth of semiconductor talent produced by institutions such as Kyungpook National University and DGIST.

As Daegu City selected "system semiconductors" as one of the five future new industries of the 8th popularly elected government and worked to create a non-memory semiconductor ecosystem, companies such as Infineon Technologies Korea, Telechips, Ideas to Silicon, and Chips&Media have established research centers or corporations in Daegu since last year. With the establishment of ST Labs' corporation, the creation of a fabless hub in Daegu outside the Seoul metropolitan area is accelerating.

Daegu City has focused on building research and development infrastructure and establishing a step-by-step professional workforce training system to foster the semiconductor industry. From this year, it plans to devote itself to creating a fabless industry ecosystem, including the establishment of an intelligent semiconductor design support center.

Kim Youngsik, CEO of ST Labs, said, "Daegu City has an excellent foundation for fabless companies to grow due to its abundance of outstanding semiconductor talent. Based on ST Labs' excellent near-infrared spectral sensor technology, we will actively target markets where infrared spectrum sensors are used, not only in smart home appliances but also in soil organic carbon measurement and drug detection systems."

Choi Woonbaek, Director of Future Innovation Growth at Daegu City, said, "We hope that ST Labs will further grow as a specialized fabless semiconductor company with its relocation to Suseong Alpha City as a turning point. Daegu City will spare no administrative support in building an environment where fabless companies can thrive, including nurturing professional talent and supporting research and development (R&D)."