Interviews with CES AI Innovation Plaza Participants
60% of Innovation Awards Go to Korean Companies in AI and Robotics
U.S. Investor: "Korea Has Strengths in Manufacturing-Based Industries"
At the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition, 'CES 2026,' which concluded on January 9 (local time), Korean companies participating in the event drew global attention in innovative fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. Even after the event ended, interest in these companies remained high. At the 'CES AI Innovation Plaza' held at COEX, Seoul on the 21st by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA, The Asia Business Daily spoke with participating companies and global investment firms.
Mandro: "Focusing on the Hand... From Prosthetics to Humanoids"
Sangho Lee, CEO of Mandro, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the 'CES AI Innovation Plaza' held at COEX, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Joon Park.
Mandro, a company specializing in robotic prosthetic hands, received an Innovation Award in the Accessibility and Sustainability category at this year's CES for its robotic prosthetic hand 'Mark 7X,' which features a wrist joint that freely rotates and moves at the size of a real human hand. At the event, a robotic hand holding a Star Wars lightsaber and flexibly moving its wrist and fingers captured the attention of visitors from the entrance.
Sangho Lee, CEO of Mandro, told The Asia Business Daily that day, "In 2015, I saw a post by a double-arm amputee in an online community, which inspired me to start the company. The question was whether a prosthetic hand could be made using a 3D printer." At the time, the price of a prosthetic hand was around 50 million won per hand. The motivation to start the business was to create an affordable prosthetic hand that ordinary people could use.
The business, which began with prosthetic hand manufacturing, has since expanded into producing robotic hands. By making everything from motors to reducers and actuators in-house, Mandro was able to develop an affordable hand that could also be used for robots. Lee emphasized, "A hand can be made for 4 to 5 million won, and since the hand can be swapped, it can be immediately applied to humanoid robots. Since we possess all the technology, only material and labor costs are involved. It's cheaper than Chinese hand products."
Mandro, a prosthetic manufacturing company, presents its robotic hand product, the Mark 7X. Photo by Jun Park.
At this year's CES, Mandro received partnership offers from a variety of companies, including global robot manufacturers and semiconductor producers. Lee explained, "We have started a collaboration to supply robotic hands for humanoids with an Italian company called 'Oversonic,' which produces over 100 humanoids per year and about 400 in three years."
Lee stated, "Our direction is that no one should be unable to use a prosthetic hand due to lack of money. Now, we want to become the company people always turn to when they need a hand."
Livio Receives $1 Million Investment from the U.S.
Jungjin Lee, CEO of Livio, is being interviewed by The Asia Business Daily at the 'CES AI Innovation Plaza' held at COEX, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Joon Park.
Another Innovation Award-winning company, Livio, develops AI-based water quality prediction technology and sensing platforms. Jungjin Lee, CEO of Livio, who founded the company after working for 20 years in the medical device field, said he was inspired to focus on "water" while searching for elements that could help with healthcare at home.
Livio received the Innovation Award in the Digital Healthcare category for its technology that diagnoses invisible water quality risks using AI-based devices. Notably, at this year's CES, Livio secured a $1 million purchase contract from Vetonate, a U.S. medical device distribution company.
AI-based water quality and health device for home and facility use 'AQUAL Pro S' by Livio and water quality measurement screen. Photo by Park Junyi.
Lee commented, "While we attracted the interest of general consumers at last year's CES, this year there was much more demand from investors and buyers." Livio has also been in discussions for collaborations with global companies such as Midea, a Chinese home appliance manufacturer, and Veolia, a French water treatment solution provider. He added, "We expect to achieve about 2 billion won in sales this year."
Livio plans to establish a corporation in Nevada, U.S., this year. Lee stated, "With water quality regulations being strengthened for local hotels, we aim to provide water management systems and digitize information for hotels. We also plan to expand into various related industries."
U.S. Investment Firm: "Korean AI and Robotics Are Attractive Markets"
Sho Yamanaka, Head of Asia at Salesforce Ventures, is giving an interview to The Asia Business Daily at the 'CES AI Innovation Plaza' held at COEX, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Park Joon.
Sho Yamanaka, Principal at Salesforce Ventures in the United States, stated, "I understand that many Korean companies participated in this year's CES. Korean startups in the AI and robotics fields are very global, and I have heard that there is significant support from the Korean government and industry." He added, "I was left with the impression that the entire startup ecosystem is a systematically attractive market."
Regarding the robotics industry, which garnered attention at this year's CES, Yamanaka believes there is significant potential for further development. He said, "Labor shortages are becoming a serious issue everywhere, and as AI technology advances rapidly, the range of tasks that robots and machines can perform is expanding greatly. The robotics industry is a highly promising market that can develop significantly across various industrial and home sectors."
Yamanaka emphasized, "Korea has strengths not only in semiconductors but also in hardware, so I believe there is an industrial foundation for great companies to emerge. The government provides substantial support, and large corporations like Samsung Electronics and SK have structures to collaborate with or support startups." He continued, "I got that impression in the AI industry, and it seems the robotics sector is moving in the same direction."
He added, "Salesforce Ventures has invested in Korean AI startups such as MarqVision and SelectStar. We want to continue supporting such companies as they expand overseas to markets like Japan and the United States."
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