[Interview] "Remote Diagnostics for EV Batteries"... Hyundai Motor Group Alum Founds CES Innovation Award-Winning Company [CES 2026]

Hyunju Ahn, CEO of Quantum Hightech
Winner of the Innovation Award at CES 2026
Electric Vehicle Battery Diagnostics and Lifespan Prediction

An artificial intelligence (AI) platform has emerged that enables real-time safety diagnostics and lifespan prediction of electric vehicle batteries without removing them from the vehicle. Quantum Hightech developed a full-cycle management solution that predicts early signs and abnormal symptoms of battery fires based on real-world electric vehicle data, and won the CES Innovation Award at the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, CES 2026.

Hyunju Ahn, CEO of Quantum Hightech, explained in an interview with The Asia Business Daily at the Korean Pavilion in Eureka Park at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, USA, on January 8 (local time), "We collect cell-level data from batteries in real driving conditions, second by second, to the cloud and analyze it using AI, all without removing the battery."

Hyunju Ahn, CEO of Quantum Hightech, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the Korean Pavilion in Eureka Park at CES 2026 held in Las Vegas, USA, on the 8th (local time). Photo by Jun Park.

CEO Ahn, a former Hyundai Motor Group employee, noticed that while electric vehicle data is increasing, analysis and utilization are lagging behind. This led her to start the company two years ago with former colleagues.

The core technology of Quantum Hightech involves attaching an OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) terminal to the vehicle to collect and analyze cell-level battery data in real time during actual driving. Conventional electric vehicle battery diagnostics required removing the battery and conducting electrochemical tests on each cell, which, depending on safety inspection standards, could take up to 65 hours to diagnose the lifespan of a single battery.

Ahn explained, "As batteries accumulate degradation, the risk of fire increases, but there was previously no way to manage this in real time. It's like continuously monitoring your heart rate, rather than just getting a one-time health checkup at the hospital-this is a concept of ongoing battery management."

This technology has significant potential for use in the used electric vehicle market, where the value of a vehicle depends on the condition of its battery. Ahn noted, "To certify a used car, it currently takes two people more than 10 hours to remove and measure the battery. With a one-time diagnosis, we can objectively present the battery's condition, making it useful for used car inspections."

Quantum Hightech's TRIZ-AI platform predicting the condition and remaining lifespan of electric vehicle batteries. Photo by Park Junyi.

Ahn emphasized, "Currently, at the Jeju Electric Vehicle Battery Industrialization Center, only about 500 batteries can be processed annually, but by 2030, hundreds of thousands of used batteries will be generated each year in Korea alone. Without rapid AI-based diagnostics, it will be virtually impossible to handle this volume."

Quantum Hightech has developed the 'TRIZ-AI' platform, which integrates full-cycle battery management into a single AI platform. Individual users can check battery status and lifespan predictions via a mobile app, while corporate clients such as transportation and rental car companies can manage the status of all their vehicle batteries through a control dashboard. Ahn stated, "This is an AI platform that manages the entire lifecycle of electric vehicles," adding that the official service launch is scheduled for March this year. The company was recently selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' global TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startups) project and will begin pilot projects in Asia, starting with Singapore.

Quantum Hi-Tech won the Innovation Award in the 'Vehicle Tech & Advanced Mobility' category at CES 2026. Photo by Park Juni.

Quantum Hightech's goal is to supply a universal AI model that is not dependent on any specific automaker. Ahn said, "Although the domestic market is still in its early stages, the demand for battery safety and asset value management will inevitably grow as electric vehicles become more widespread. The full-cycle battery management market is about to open in earnest."

Meanwhile, Korean companies accounted for 60% of all winners at this year's CES Innovation Awards. In particular, many AI-based solutions and proven technologies in the medical, environmental, and mobility sectors were selected.