UNIST Holdings Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as UNIST Holdings) has successfully guided two student-founded startups into Korea’s Tech Incubator Program for Startup (TIPS), delivering a notable early result in its first year as an official TIPS operator under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS).
In the seventh round of the 2025 TIPS General Track selection, both startups discovered, seed-funded, and recommended by UNIST Holdings—Quantize Labs Inc. and CLFY Inc.—were selected. The outcome highlights the holding company’s ability to identify promising technologies and support startups through the highly competitive TIPS evaluation process.
This milestone reflects the maturation of UNIST’s startup support system. While the university has consistently produced technology-driven startups, participation in the TIPS program previously depended on external investment partners. With UNIST Holdings now serving as a TIPS operator, UNIST has established a self-sustaining framework that connects early-stage discovery, direct investment, TIPS linkage, and continued growth support.
Through its wholly owned holding company, UNIST is now able to manage the full commercialization pathway in-house—from identifying high-potential technologies to investing in and accelerating startups—demonstrating a model in which a university plays an active role not only in research and education, but also in startup development and investment.
Quantize Labs Inc., led by CEO Kyeong Min Jeong (Department of Industrial Engineering, UNIST), is developing an AI-based recommendation and demand forecasting technology designed to improve short-term rental operations. Through its electronics rental platform Lookit, the company targets changing consumption patterns among younger users. With support from the TIPS program, Quantize Labs plans to further advance its user behavior analytics and inventory management engine, addressing inefficiencies in the rental market while preparing for global expansion.
CLFY Inc., founded by CEO ShiHyun Kim (Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, UNIST), offers a Korean-language-optimized large language model (LLM)–based SaaS solution for detecting harmful online comments. By analyzing context and intent, the platform enables creators and companies to manage malicious content more effectively while significantly reducing moderation costs.
Over the next two years, the two startups will each receive up to KRW 800 million in combined support, including R&D funding, commercialization assistance, and overseas marketing resources. UNIST Holdings plans to continue supporting the companies through follow-on investment and global expansion efforts, helping them navigate early growth challenges.
“Among the newly appointed TIPS operators this year, only a small number—including UNIST Holdings—successfully recommended and secured selection for portfolio companies within a week of designation,” said Tae-kyu Han, Director of UNIST Holdings. “This reflects our readiness as a hands-on accelerator capable of moving quickly from evaluation to investment.”
UNIST President Chong Rae Park added, “This achievement shows that UNIST has built a complete startup support system through its wholly owned holding company—one that takes responsibility for nurturing student innovation from the laboratory to the marketplace. We will continue to back bold ideas so they can grow into technologies that make a real impact.”
