The Korea Racing Authority signed a public-private open innovation agreement Wednesday with the Seoul Creative Economy Innovation Center and 10 startups at its headquarters in Gwacheon, the authority said.
The program — the second edition of the Horse Industry Startup Support Open Innovation initiative — aims to solve real-world industry challenges by combining horse-related operations with advanced technologies including AI, biotech, data and content, while supporting participating startups in proof-of-concept testing and commercialization. The Korea Racing Authority will provide racetracks and ranches as test beds, while the Seoul Creative Economy Innovation Center will handle startup selection and program management.
The 10 companies joining the agreement are Dataplay Labs (co-CEOs Lee Sang-hyeon and Choi Bit-na), Maewol Maeju (CEO Son Jong-chan), Bros (co-CEOs Kim Chan-il and Kim Seung-yun), StoryPeak Global (CEO Han Na-rae), Wally Therapy (CEO Lee Ji-young), Yuri Technology (CEO Park Hun), EX Healthcare (CEO Lee Yong-hee), Found (CEO Jeong Seung-won), Fresh Hour (CEO Im Gyeong-ho) and Hyper Network (CEO Kim Ji-yeon).
Each selected company will pursue proof-of-concept projects based on its own area of expertise. Dataplay Labs and Yuri Technology will use racing data accumulated by the Korea Racing Authority to develop AI-powered prediction and analysis content and data services. Maewol Maeju, Bros, StoryPeak Global and Found will leverage the intellectual property of Knicks Go — a stallion owned by the Korea Racing Authority and a former world champion racehorse — to develop commemorative wines, a digital exhibition hall, merchandise and character products, aiming to raise the horse industry's brand value.
Chu Wan-ho, the Korea Racing Authority's executive director of management support and horse industry, said the initiative is "a public-private cooperation model that connects the innovative technologies of startups with the Korea Racing Authority's on-site infrastructure to create new growth engines for the horse industry." He added that the authority would "actively support startups in securing technological competitiveness through proof-of-concept testing and in leading the digital transformation and innovation of the horse industry."
yjc@heraldcorp.com
