STARTUP

Logistics serves as the backbone of the ecommerce industry. The delivery of online purchases within the same day or two days would not have been possible had there not been efficient logistics processes, which include inventory, packaging items for shipment, and handling returns.Jin-soo Park, the CEO of South Korean logistics startup Colosseum Corporation, said the gap between those commerce firms with advanced logistics solutions and those without them will continue to widen."Innovations in logistics services, rather than new products, are the driving force behind the growth of the global ecommerce industry," Park told The Miilk in a recent interview.“Legacy fulfillment firms relying only on space and human resources will likely face challenges from new market players focused on advancing logistics solutions and processes,” he added.The Nasdaq-listed Coupang will be a prime example supporting this point. Coupang has adopted the one-day delivery service by streamlining its logistics process and efficiently managing stocks based on data. Additionally, the company operates an easy return policy through which it accepts most return requests regardless of the conditions. Earning 26.6 trillion won ($20.9 billion) last year, it outraced most of the established retail companies, including Lotte Shopping. In terms of the transaction volume, it also outgunned online commerce businesses, including the web portal giant Naver, in the third quarter last year, recording 32.3 trillion won($25.3 billion).For legacy logistics firms, the storage and delivery of a relatively small number of items had traditionally been outside the scope of their business operations. Additionally, establishing and running facilities to handle different types of products had been deemed unprofitable, resulting in a lack of such services for commerce companies. However, with the increasing diversity of items sold on online platforms, the need to handle different items, even in small quantities, has grown. Logistics companies also need to directly operate special storage facilities or partner with cold storage companies for items that can be affected by temperature. The growing popularity of international ecommerce services further necessitate the need to establish a presence in global markets.Park said Colosseum has been striving to meet these needs for ecommerce companies while adopting the latest technologies to improve efficiency. Despite being a logistics firm, Colosseum does not own a single storage facility. Instead, it acts as an intermediary between storage facility operators and commerce firms nationwide, as well as in other countries, including the US. Colosseum's solutions enable storage facilities to handle a wide range of products in small quantities, and it deploys IT solutions to efficiently manage logistics centers, which are owned by its partners."

The Korea Innovation Center Silicon Valley, or KICSV, an organization under the state-run National IT industry Promotion Agency, on Thursday held an online information session with potential startup applicants for the upcoming K-Startup Grand Challenge 2023, an annual acceleration program.The 8th KSGC program is scheduled from July 25 to November 10. The application process is currently underway with a deadline of May 18.The equity-free acceleration program allows fledgling startups from around the world to test and run their ideas in South Korea, providing a stepping stone for expansion into Asia.

Fleur Pellerin, former French Minister of Small and Medium Companies and the Digital Economy, has become somewhat of a celebrity in the South Korean startup sector, not only because she is a South Korean adoptee who was adopted as a child by French parents who has risen to the upper echelons of French politics, but also for her reputation as an avid entrepreneur and investor working to build bridges between Korean and European markets. Since becoming a Minister in 2012, Pellerin’s frequent visits to South Korea have garnered domestic attention, especially as many find the story of her adoption and subsequent political success highly inspiring.During her latest visit to Jeju Island, a popular Korean vacation spot, on Oct. 25, The Miilk was fortunate enough to talk with her about mounting concerns over a global recession and its potential impact on the startup market.Pellerin, who now heads up the Paris-based venture capital firm Korelya Capital, said she remains upbeat about the global startup and venture capital sectors, despite recent economic slumps caused by rising interest rates and inflation, and the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia. “Although I can’t say for certain how long this [economic downturn] will last, the biggest difference between our situation now and former economic crises is that we have a lot of money now, a lot of dry powder to burn through,” Pellerin said in an interview that took place on the island, while participating in an ESG conference. While discussing global venture capital firms that raised a decent amount of money last year, she explained “It’s just that investors are more cautious than before; there’s still money to invest.”After she stepped down as the French Minister of Culture in 2016, she co-founded Korelya with former French financier Antoine Dresch. Backed by Korean internet giant Naver, which has sunk €200 million into the investment fund Pellerin has used the fund to back European startups, such as the high-end audio speaker manufacturer Devialet and recruitment platform Jobteaser.In 2017, Korelya led the $13 million Series A round for the AI voice-recognition platform Snips, which was later acquired by US audio system manufacturer Sonos for $37.5 million.

구글X의 프로젝트로 시작한 단델리온 에너지(Dandelion Energy)는 현재 미국 동부 지역에서 지열 냉난방 시스템을 공급한다. 빌 게이츠가 설립한 브레이크스루 에너지 벤쳐스(Breakthrough Energy Ventures)로부터 투자를 유치하면서 연구, 개발 및 서비스 지역 확대에 박차를 가하고 있다. 자체적인 시추설비를 이용해 작은 지역에서도 효율적으로 설치가 가능해 새로운 냉난방 에너지원으로 주목받고 있다.

앱스미스(Appsmith)는 오픈 소스 로우 코드 소프트웨어(Open Source Low Code Software) 개발 스타트업이다. 개발자가 소프트웨어를 빠르게 개발할 수 있게 돕는다.세계적으로 고급 소프트웨어 개발자 구하기가 힘들다. 오픈 소스 로우 코드는 소프트웨어 개발 장벽과 비용을 낮추고 효율을 높인다. 앱스미스는 최근 1050만달러(124억원)의 시리즈 A 투자에 성공했다.

혈액이나 소변을 검사할 필요 없이 만성 질환을 진단하고 모니터링하는 기술은 엄청난 잠재력을 가진 시장이다. 그런 의미에서 스타트업 그래프웨어(GraphWear)는 최근 시장의 주목을 받고 있다. 이 업체는 채혈 없이 혈당 수치를 지속해서 모니터링하는 혁신적인 센서와 장비를 개발하고, 미 식품의약청(FDA) 승인을 추진 중이다. 그래프웨어는 이를 기반으로 지난 5일(현지시각) 2050만 달러(244억 원) 규모의 시리즈 B 투자 유치에 성공했다.