[SBA × Donga.com Joint Feature]
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) successfully hosted the Seoul AI Robot Show, showcasing cutting-edge technologies such as AI, robotics, humanoids, autonomous driving, and smart manufacturing. As a participatory robot exhibition designed for citizens, the event also featured a robot expert forum, robot competitions, and presentations of achievements by robot companies and research institutes. In collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and SBA, Donga.com introduces promising robot companies that are leading Seoul toward becoming a robot-friendly city through their participation in the Seoul AI Robot Show.
In the era of living to 100, early detection of diseases is essential for healthy longevity. Cancer (malignant neoplasms), which ranks among the leading causes of death in Korea, is a prime example. Among these, gastrointestinal diseases such as colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gastric cancer can be detected early through endoscopic examinations without surgical incisions, making endoscopy widely used. However, the endoscopy market in Korea is dominated by overseas products, and the pace of technological innovation has been slow.
Most endoscopic equipment used in Korean hospitals is mechanically operated. When a physician turns a dial attached to the handle, metal wires are pulled to move the tip of the endoscopic lens. The problem lies in the complex structure: the handle is heavy, and the high resistance of the dial places a significant burden on physicians. During procedures, doctors must endure equipment weighing nearly 1 kg, with excessive force applied to their fingers and wrists. As a result, many endoscopy specialists suffer from chronic thumb joint arthritis, wrist pain, and other musculoskeletal disorders.
Because mechanical operation requires a high level of proficiency, an apprenticeship-style training system (one-on-one training) is necessary. Physicians must rely on personal tactile sensation to identify abnormalities, meaning diagnostic accuracy varies depending on individual skill levels. This is a critical issue directly related to patient safety. Nevertheless, overseas companies that dominate the market have taken a passive approach, focusing more on improving image quality than on fundamentally changing the structure of endoscopic equipment.
Lee Chi-won, CEO of MedInTech / Source: IT Donga
MedInTech is a medical device startup aiming to transform the mechanically operated endoscopy market through motorization and artificial intelligence technologies. Born from the question, “Why does endoscopy still have to be analog?”, MedInTech has been actively pursuing innovation in endoscopic technology. How did the company integrate motorization and AI into endoscopy? We spoke with Lee Chi-won, CEO of MedInTech.
From a Surgical Robotics Engineer to Endoscopy Innovator
“Starting a business in surgical robots required extremely high initial capital and manpower. While 고민ing where our technology could have the greatest impact, we identified the endoscopy market. Imaging technology had advanced significantly, but the actuation mechanism remained stuck in a pre-modern mechanical form. We believed that combining motorization and artificial intelligence with the endoscopy market—dominated by foreign companies—would give us a competitive edge.”
CEO Lee Chi-won and co-founder Vice President Kim Myung-jun are engineers who studied surgical robotics in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Seoul National University. After graduation, Lee continued his research at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), exploring ways to expand the core technologies of surgical robots—motorization and mechanical control—into other fields. During this process, endoscopy stood out as a promising area.
The endoscopy market has long been dominated by foreign companies, sharing one key characteristic: mechanically driven operating structures. Because they must be manually controlled by human hands, these systems face inherent structural limitations when it comes to applying advanced robotic and AI functionalities.
MedInTech tackled this problem head-on. By redesigning the endoscope as a motorized system, the company significantly reduced the weight of the handle (controller) and laid the groundwork for fully automated procedural techniques. All power transmission components required for directional control of the endoscopic lens were replaced with motorized systems.
MedInTech’s motorized endoscopy systems ME-400 (left) and ME-470 (right) / Source: MedInTech
CEO Lee Chi-won explained, “Operating conventional endoscopes feels like pulling a wire with your fingers while holding a one-kilogram dumbbell. In contrast, MedInTech’s products allow the motor to take over part of the force required for operation. As a result, we reduced the handle weight to about half of existing systems, and almost no force is needed to operate the dial. When physicians experience less fatigue, the ultimate benefit comes back to patients in the form of more precise care.”
MedInTech has also moved quickly to incorporate AI technologies. AI automatically detects abnormalities and analyzes the gastrointestinal tract to determine the direction of endoscope insertion. In effect, the company has introduced the concept of physical AI, enabling autonomous endoscope navigation while reducing misdiagnosis. CEO Lee emphasized that this shift is analogous to how automobiles transitioned from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, enabling autonomous driving.
“When foreign companies were focusing solely on improving image quality, MedInTech focused on innovating not only the images but also the very act of how physicians operate the device,” Lee said. “Because our proprietary hardware directly processes image signals, we provide an environment where AI analysis results are displayed in real time without latency.”
A Conservative Medical Field: Approaching Innovation Through Data and Experience
One of MedInTech’s biggest challenges is communicating innovation to the medical market. Even with groundbreaking technology, overcoming the conservative mindset of the healthcare sector—where human lives are at stake—is not easy. For a market long accustomed to imported endoscopes to accept new technologies and products, a decisive shift in perception is required.
To overcome this challenge, MedInTech chose data. Over the past two years, the company conducted approximately 500 clinical trials in collaboration with six major university hospitals in Korea, including Seoul National University Hospital. Through these trials, MedInTech demonstrated performance on par with—or superior to—imported endoscopes.
“Conducting clinical trials involving 500 patients was not an easy decision for a startup,” Lee said. “But the results were successful. We proved that our performance is not inferior to existing endoscopes, and we received strong evaluations for usability. We believe this is the result of our focus on UX innovation—maintaining the familiar operating feel physicians are used to, while significantly reducing device weight.”
Beyond technological superiority, MedInTech also emphasized economic efficiency. Frequent breakdowns and high repair costs are chronic burdens for hospital management. MedInTech priced its equipment and maintenance costs at about 60% of comparable imported products, a structure made possible by domestic manufacturing and in-house repair capabilities.
The company is also progressing through domestic and international regulatory approval processes. After approvals, MedInTech plans to further collaborate with clinical partners to enable real-world adoption of its products.
Aspiring to Grow Into a Global Medical Solutions Company
In 2025, MedInTech focused on building domestic and international sales networks, laying the foundation for growth. CEO Lee said, “From 2026, we will concentrate our capabilities on ensuring our products are widely used in clinical settings. We will simultaneously pursue technology advancement, mass-production systems, and marketing activities.”
The company is also accelerating the establishment of its manufacturing infrastructure. Leveraging external investment and government loan programs, MedInTech has built facilities that meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.
Support from the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) played a significant role in MedInTech’s rapid growth within Korea’s challenging medical device startup ecosystem. In addition to R&D funding, SBA provided networking and marketing support. In 2025, SBA further enabled an environment focused on technology development through the Seoul-type R&D program and Hi-Seoul Company certification.
“SBA’s Communication Club taught us how to engage with the public, and participating in the Indonesia market development delegation led to meaningful business discussions,” Lee said. “Beyond that, the wide range of support programs offered by the Seoul Business Agency has truly served as a stepping stone for MedInTech’s growth.”
Lee Chi-won, CEO of MedInTech / Source: IT Donga
“MedInTech means embedding technology into medicine. Although we started as an endoscopy company, we do not intend to remain confined to a single field. By applying motorization and AI technologies to a wide range of medical devices, we aim to achieve an upward standardization of healthcare—enabling anyone to deliver high-quality care regardless of a physician’s level of experience. We believe this is the path that offers convenience to doctors and safety to patients.”
MedInTech aims to provide an integrated solution that encompasses the entire lifecycle of endoscopy-related workflows. The company has presented a vision of evolving into a platform that supports the full continuum of care, from diagnosis to treatment.
Reported by Hyung-seok Kang, IT Donga (redbk@itdonga.com)
View the original article
동아일보 : https://www.donga.com/news/It/article/all/20251216/132980429/1
[SBA × Donga.com Joint Feature]
The Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) successfully hosted the Seoul AI Robot Show, showcasing cutting-edge technologies such as AI, robotics, humanoids, autonomous driving, and smart manufacturing. As a participatory robot exhibition designed for citizens, the event also featured a robot expert forum, robot competitions, and presentations of achievements by robot companies and research institutes. In collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and SBA, Donga.com introduces promising robot companies that are leading Seoul toward becoming a robot-friendly city through their participation in the Seoul AI Robot Show.
In the era of living to 100, early detection of diseases is essential for healthy longevity. Cancer (malignant neoplasms), which ranks among the leading causes of death in Korea, is a prime example. Among these, gastrointestinal diseases such as colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gastric cancer can be detected early through endoscopic examinations without surgical incisions, making endoscopy widely used. However, the endoscopy market in Korea is dominated by overseas products, and the pace of technological innovation has been slow.
Most endoscopic equipment used in Korean hospitals is mechanically operated. When a physician turns a dial attached to the handle, metal wires are pulled to move the tip of the endoscopic lens. The problem lies in the complex structure: the handle is heavy, and the high resistance of the dial places a significant burden on physicians. During procedures, doctors must endure equipment weighing nearly 1 kg, with excessive force applied to their fingers and wrists. As a result, many endoscopy specialists suffer from chronic thumb joint arthritis, wrist pain, and other musculoskeletal disorders.
Because mechanical operation requires a high level of proficiency, an apprenticeship-style training system (one-on-one training) is necessary. Physicians must rely on personal tactile sensation to identify abnormalities, meaning diagnostic accuracy varies depending on individual skill levels. This is a critical issue directly related to patient safety. Nevertheless, overseas companies that dominate the market have taken a passive approach, focusing more on improving image quality than on fundamentally changing the structure of endoscopic equipment.
Lee Chi-won, CEO of MedInTech / Source: IT Donga
MedInTech is a medical device startup aiming to transform the mechanically operated endoscopy market through motorization and artificial intelligence technologies. Born from the question, “Why does endoscopy still have to be analog?”, MedInTech has been actively pursuing innovation in endoscopic technology. How did the company integrate motorization and AI into endoscopy? We spoke with Lee Chi-won, CEO of MedInTech.
From a Surgical Robotics Engineer to Endoscopy Innovator
“Starting a business in surgical robots required extremely high initial capital and manpower. While 고민ing where our technology could have the greatest impact, we identified the endoscopy market. Imaging technology had advanced significantly, but the actuation mechanism remained stuck in a pre-modern mechanical form. We believed that combining motorization and artificial intelligence with the endoscopy market—dominated by foreign companies—would give us a competitive edge.”
CEO Lee Chi-won and co-founder Vice President Kim Myung-jun are engineers who studied surgical robotics in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Seoul National University. After graduation, Lee continued his research at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI), exploring ways to expand the core technologies of surgical robots—motorization and mechanical control—into other fields. During this process, endoscopy stood out as a promising area.
The endoscopy market has long been dominated by foreign companies, sharing one key characteristic: mechanically driven operating structures. Because they must be manually controlled by human hands, these systems face inherent structural limitations when it comes to applying advanced robotic and AI functionalities.
MedInTech tackled this problem head-on. By redesigning the endoscope as a motorized system, the company significantly reduced the weight of the handle (controller) and laid the groundwork for fully automated procedural techniques. All power transmission components required for directional control of the endoscopic lens were replaced with motorized systems.
MedInTech’s motorized endoscopy systems ME-400 (left) and ME-470 (right) / Source: MedInTech
CEO Lee Chi-won explained, “Operating conventional endoscopes feels like pulling a wire with your fingers while holding a one-kilogram dumbbell. In contrast, MedInTech’s products allow the motor to take over part of the force required for operation. As a result, we reduced the handle weight to about half of existing systems, and almost no force is needed to operate the dial. When physicians experience less fatigue, the ultimate benefit comes back to patients in the form of more precise care.”
MedInTech has also moved quickly to incorporate AI technologies. AI automatically detects abnormalities and analyzes the gastrointestinal tract to determine the direction of endoscope insertion. In effect, the company has introduced the concept of physical AI, enabling autonomous endoscope navigation while reducing misdiagnosis. CEO Lee emphasized that this shift is analogous to how automobiles transitioned from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, enabling autonomous driving.
“When foreign companies were focusing solely on improving image quality, MedInTech focused on innovating not only the images but also the very act of how physicians operate the device,” Lee said. “Because our proprietary hardware directly processes image signals, we provide an environment where AI analysis results are displayed in real time without latency.”
A Conservative Medical Field: Approaching Innovation Through Data and Experience
One of MedInTech’s biggest challenges is communicating innovation to the medical market. Even with groundbreaking technology, overcoming the conservative mindset of the healthcare sector—where human lives are at stake—is not easy. For a market long accustomed to imported endoscopes to accept new technologies and products, a decisive shift in perception is required.
To overcome this challenge, MedInTech chose data. Over the past two years, the company conducted approximately 500 clinical trials in collaboration with six major university hospitals in Korea, including Seoul National University Hospital. Through these trials, MedInTech demonstrated performance on par with—or superior to—imported endoscopes.
“Conducting clinical trials involving 500 patients was not an easy decision for a startup,” Lee said. “But the results were successful. We proved that our performance is not inferior to existing endoscopes, and we received strong evaluations for usability. We believe this is the result of our focus on UX innovation—maintaining the familiar operating feel physicians are used to, while significantly reducing device weight.”
Beyond technological superiority, MedInTech also emphasized economic efficiency. Frequent breakdowns and high repair costs are chronic burdens for hospital management. MedInTech priced its equipment and maintenance costs at about 60% of comparable imported products, a structure made possible by domestic manufacturing and in-house repair capabilities.
The company is also progressing through domestic and international regulatory approval processes. After approvals, MedInTech plans to further collaborate with clinical partners to enable real-world adoption of its products.
Aspiring to Grow Into a Global Medical Solutions Company
In 2025, MedInTech focused on building domestic and international sales networks, laying the foundation for growth. CEO Lee said, “From 2026, we will concentrate our capabilities on ensuring our products are widely used in clinical settings. We will simultaneously pursue technology advancement, mass-production systems, and marketing activities.”
The company is also accelerating the establishment of its manufacturing infrastructure. Leveraging external investment and government loan programs, MedInTech has built facilities that meet Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) requirements.
Support from the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) played a significant role in MedInTech’s rapid growth within Korea’s challenging medical device startup ecosystem. In addition to R&D funding, SBA provided networking and marketing support. In 2025, SBA further enabled an environment focused on technology development through the Seoul-type R&D program and Hi-Seoul Company certification.
“SBA’s Communication Club taught us how to engage with the public, and participating in the Indonesia market development delegation led to meaningful business discussions,” Lee said. “Beyond that, the wide range of support programs offered by the Seoul Business Agency has truly served as a stepping stone for MedInTech’s growth.”
Lee Chi-won, CEO of MedInTech / Source: IT Donga
“MedInTech means embedding technology into medicine. Although we started as an endoscopy company, we do not intend to remain confined to a single field. By applying motorization and AI technologies to a wide range of medical devices, we aim to achieve an upward standardization of healthcare—enabling anyone to deliver high-quality care regardless of a physician’s level of experience. We believe this is the path that offers convenience to doctors and safety to patients.”
MedInTech aims to provide an integrated solution that encompasses the entire lifecycle of endoscopy-related workflows. The company has presented a vision of evolving into a platform that supports the full continuum of care, from diagnosis to treatment.
Reported by Hyung-seok Kang, IT Donga (redbk@itdonga.com)
View the original article
동아일보 : https://www.donga.com/news/It/article/all/20251216/132980429/1