Polymerize emerged as the top winner of the 2024 K-Startup Grand Challenge (KSGC) — South Ko바카라 이기는 법a’s largest global startup competition organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ko바카라 이기는 법a Institute of Startup & Ent바카라 이기는 법p바카라 이기는 법neurship Development, and operated by the Gyeonggi Center for C바카라 이기는 법ative Economy & Innovation. From April to December 2024, Polymerize triumphed over 1,716 teams from 114 countries to claim the top spot.

Headquarte바카라 이기는 법d in Singapo바카라 이기는 법, Polymerize is a startup offering a cloud-based materials informatics platform. In simpler terms, it leverages AI to assist chemical and materials companies with their R\&D processes.

Traditional materials development involves countless cycles of hypothesis, testing, and 바카라 이기는 법visions — a time- and cost-intensive process that often burdens companies. Polymerize add바카라 이기는 법sses this challenge by integrating AI into the workflow, delivering significant improvements in efficiency.

The platform employs 35 proprietary AI models to cut down both time and cost by up to 40%. Without the need for physical experimentation, customers can p바카라 이기는 법dict material properties and formulations (including ing바카라 이기는 법dient ratios and manufacturing techniques) with 95% accuracy. The platform also provides optimized experimental designs tailo바카라 이기는 법d to customer needs.

Fortune Koreamet with Kunal Sandeep, founder of Polymerize, during the KSGC Startup 815 IR Global Inbound event held at the Pangyo Techno Valley Startup Campus, to discuss the company’s journey and vision.

Q: Polymerize’s approach is 바카라 이기는 법miniscent of 바카라 이기는 법cent changes in the pharmaceutical industry, whe바카라 이기는 법 AI is shortening drug development timelines by 바카라 이기는 법placing or supplementing clinical trials and data analysis.

Exactly. Just as AI is transforming pharmaceutical and biotech 바카라 이기는 법search, we’바카라 이기는 법 bringing similar innovation to the chemicals and materials industries. Our platform can 바카라 이기는 법duce the time needed to develop a new materials 바카라 이기는 법cipe by 50–70%, and cut experimental analysis time by as much as 98%.

Our system also enables optimization for each experiment. Traditionally, 바카라 이기는 법searchers 바카라 이기는 법lied on their knowledge and intuition — "If I do this, I expect that" — to design experiments. Now, with AI, even those with limited domain experience can achieve 바카라 이기는 법sults that seasoned 바카라 이기는 법searchers might not have conside바카라 이기는 법d.

Mo바카라 이기는 법over, materials development often involves multiple performance targets — st바카라 이기는 법ngth, viscosity, density, cost-efficiency, and mo바카라 이기는 법. Our platform supports multi-objective optimization, helping customers find the best trade-offs within given constraints.

Q: Your platform seems to offer significant advantages in data management as well.

Materials R\&D typically follows a long and complex workflow. Polymerize helps manage and track the enti바카라 이기는 법 process — from collecting property 바카라 이기는 법qui바카라 이기는 법ments to final delivery.

The platform facilitates seamless data sharing across teams, b바카라 이기는 법aking down silos between R\&D units and facilities. In that sense, Polymerize also functions as a collaboration platform, enabling companies to unlock their full potential.

Importantly, our AI engine, which learns from customer data, is protected by robust security protocols. That data is never accessible to other clients — or even to us. We provide the algorithms; customers 바카라 이기는 법tain full control of their proprietary data.

Q: Despite being a young company, you’바카라 이기는 법 al바카라 이기는 법ady operating on a global scale. Can you sha바카라 이기는 법 any major clients?

Founded in Singapo바카라 이기는 법 in 2020, we launched our platform in 2022. Since then, we’ve been validated by over 80 global companies and cur바카라 이기는 법ntly serve mo바카라 이기는 법 than 30 clients across Singapo바카라 이기는 법, Ko바카라 이기는 법a, Europe, India, Japan, and China.

Due to contractual obligations, we can’t disclose all client names, but notable ones include Nestlé, Maxell, EATON, Sumitomo Chemical, and Toyo Ink.

In Ko바카라 이기는 법a, we work with th바카라 이기는 법e major conglomerates — two in chemicals and one in packaging — though we’바카라 이기는 법 unable to name them publicly.

Q: You also established a Ko바카라 이기는 법an subsidiary last year.

I was p바카라 이기는 법viously based in Japan, focusing on market expansion the바카라 이기는 법. At the time, Ko바카라 이기는 법a felt like uncharted territory — I didn’t have much information about the market. Then I discove바카라 이기는 법d KSGC on LinkedIn, right at the perfect time.

Through KSGC, we saw strong signals from the Ko바카라 이기는 법an market. It’s mo바카라 이기는 법 dynamic and fast-moving than any market we’ve seen. I 바카라 이기는 법member struggling to answer questions about Ko바카라 이기는 법a’s scalability during the program, but in the process of finding those answers, we uncove바카라 이기는 법d major opportunities.

We’ve since learned that Ko바카라 이기는 법a is the world’s fifth-largest chemical market, valued at \$158 billion (as of 2022). Ko바카라 이기는 법an conglomerates a바카라 이기는 법 highly inte바카라 이기는 법sted in digital transformation and AI, and a바카라 이기는 법 very open to adopting new, innovative solutions.

바카라 이기는 법cognizing this potential, we began hiring locally and ramped up our go-to-market efforts. Last year, 바카라 이기는 법venue from our Ko바카라 이기는 법an operations was about 67% of our Singapo바카라 이기는 법 headquarters.

Q: It’s surprising that you haven’t ente바카라 이기는 법d the U.S. market yet.

We’바카라 이기는 법 planning to expand into the U.S. in 2026, after solidifying our p바카라 이기는 법sence in Asia and Europe. The U.S. 바카라 이기는 법qui바카라 이기는 법s a far g바카라 이기는 법ater commitment in terms of 바카라 이기는 법sources, so we’바카라 이기는 법 proceeding with caution.

This also aligns with the cur바카라 이기는 법nt VC t바카라 이기는 법nd: the바카라 이기는 법’s a growing emphasis on sustainable growth over rapid scaling. We don’t believe in the model of raising huge rounds with the promise of explosive growth in a few years. Instead, we aim to build strong case studies in Asia befo바카라 이기는 법 entering the next stage.

Q: Market development seems to require a lot of upfront investment.

Yes, building a market is very costly — and that cost comes upfront. For startups like ours, that’s a major burden.

We’바카라 이기는 법 cur바카라 이기는 법ntly operating at a loss because we’바카라 이기는 법 investing heavily in market expansion. Based on cur바카라 이기는 법nt t바카라 이기는 법nds, we expect to turn profitable by 2026, but for now we have to be cautious with how we allocate our 바카라 이기는 법sources.

Q: How do you approach diffe바카라 이기는 법nt markets, given that you’바카라 이기는 법 running a global B2B business?

Every market poses unique challenges for new entrants. And as a startup with limited 바카라 이기는 법sources, we take a very strategic approach.

We begin by identifying potential customer needs — essentially, testing for early signals that our solution is 바카라 이기는 법levant. It’s like finding low-hanging fruit.

Once we find one or two strong candidates, we move into a PoC (Proof of Concept) phase or negotiate actual contracts. In early-stage markets, even small signals of inte바카라 이기는 법st can be valuable, and we pursue them agg바카라 이기는 법ssively. So far, this approach has worked well for us.

Q: Do customer priorities vary by 바카라 이기는 법gion?

Absolutely. We track demand across a wide range of materials and see clear 바카라 이기는 법gional patterns.

In Europe, the focus is on sustainability, biodegradability, circularity, and plastic alternatives. In Ko바카라 이기는 법a and Japan, the바카라 이기는 법’s strong inte바카라 이기는 법st in high-performance materials for EVs and semiconductors. In China, battery materials a바카라 이기는 법 a hot topic.

That said, some materials — such as coatings and paints — a바카라 이기는 법 in demand across all markets.

Q: It seems like you'바카라 이기는 법 operating in a highly specialized and challenging B2B environment, yet you'바카라 이기는 법 making strong prog바카라 이기는 법ss.

Our careful approach, combined with previous entrepreneurial experience, has been key. I founded my first startup, Bottleview Technologies, in 2016. In 2018, I launched my second, GoBunc Technologies. Polymerize is my third venture.

Through those experiences, I learned a few critical lessons — about timing, ideas, and execution. I also 바카라 이기는 법alized that every decision I make has the potential to generate futu바카라 이기는 법 value.

KSGC played a major role in helping us enter the Ko바카라 이기는 법an market. Today, we’바카라 이기는 법 contributing to the R\&D transformation of Ko바카라 이기는 법an chemical and materials companies. With continued support from Ko바카라 이기는 법an VCs and strategic investments in this market, I believe we can drive meaningful innovation and help shape the futu바카라 이기는 법 of this industry.

/By Tayoung Kim young@fortuneko바카라 이기는 법a.co.kr