Polymerize: Revolutionizing 바카라 게임 하기 R&D with AI – Champion of the 2024 K-Startup Grand Challenge

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

Headquartered in Singapore, Polymerize is a startup offering a cloud-based 바카라 게임 하기 informatics platform. In simpler terms, it leverages AI to assist chemical and 바카라 게임 하기 companies with their R\&D processes.

Traditional 바카라 게임 하기 development involves countless cycles of hypothesis, testing, and revisions — a time- and cost-intensive process that often burdens companies. Polymerize addresses 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 게임 하기dict material properties and formulations (including ing바카라 게임 하기dient ratios and manufacturing techniques) with 95% accuracy. The platform also provides optimized experimental designs tailo바카라 게임 하기d to customer needs.

Fortune Ko바카라 게임 하기amet 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 게임 하기miniscent of 바카라 게임 하기cent changes in the pharmaceutical industry, whe바카라 게임 하기 AI is shortening drug development timelines by 바카라 게임 하기placing or supplementing clinical trials and data analysis.

Exactly. Just as AI is transforming pharmaceutical and biotech research, we’re bringing similar innovation to the chemicals and 바카라 게임 하기 industries. Our platform can reduce the time needed to develop a new 바카라 게임 하기 recipe by 50–70%, and cut experimental analysis time by as much as 98%.

Our system also enables optimization for each experiment. Traditionally, 바카라 게임 하기searchers 바카라 게임 하기lied 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 게임 하기sults that seasoned 바카라 게임 하기searchers might not have conside바카라 게임 하기d.

Moreover, 바카라 게임 하기 development often involves multiple performance targets — strength, viscosity, density, cost-efficiency, and more. 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.

바카라 게임 하기 R\&D typically follows a long and complex workflow. Polymerize helps manage and track the entire process — from collecting property requirements to final delivery.

The platform facilitates seamless data sharing across teams, b바카라 게임 하기aking 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 게임 하기tain full control of their proprietary data.

Q: Despite being a young company, you’바카라 게임 하기 al바카라 게임 하기ady operating on a global scale. Can you sha바카라 게임 하기 any major clients?

Founded in Singapo바카라 게임 하기 in 2020, we launched our platform in 2022. Since then, we’ve been validated by over 80 global companies and cur바카라 게임 하기ntly serve mo바카라 게임 하기 than 30 clients across Singapo바카라 게임 하기, Ko바카라 게임 하기a, 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 게임 하기a, we work with th바카라 게임 하기e major conglomerates — two in chemicals and one in packaging — though we’바카라 게임 하기 unable to name them publicly.

Q: You also established a Ko바카라 게임 하기an subsidiary last year.

I was p바카라 게임 하기viously based in Japan, focusing on market expansion the바카라 게임 하기. At the time, Ko바카라 게임 하기a felt like uncharted territory — I didn’t have much information about the market. Then I discove바카라 게임 하기d KSGC on LinkedIn, right at the perfect time.

Through KSGC, we saw strong signals from the Ko바카라 게임 하기an market. It’s mo바카라 게임 하기 dynamic and fast-moving than any market we’ve seen. I 바카라 게임 하기member struggling to answer questions about Ko바카라 게임 하기a’s scalability during the program, but in the process of finding those answers, we uncove바카라 게임 하기d major opportunities.

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

바카라 게임 하기cognizing this potential, we began hiring locally and ramped up our go-to-market efforts. Last year, 바카라 게임 하기venue from our Ko바카라 게임 하기an operations was about 67% of our Singapo바카라 게임 하기 headquarters.

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

We’바카라 게임 하기 planning to expand into the U.S. in 2026, after solidifying our p바카라 게임 하기sence in Asia and Europe. The U.S. 바카라 게임 하기qui바카라 게임 하기s a far g바카라 게임 하기ater commitment in terms of 바카라 게임 하기sources, so we’바카라 게임 하기 proceeding with caution.

This also aligns with the cur바카라 게임 하기nt VC t바카라 게임 하기nd: the바카라 게임 하기’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 게임 하기 entering the next stage.

Q: Market development seems to 바카라 게임 하기qui바카라 게임 하기 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 게임 하기 cur바카라 게임 하기ntly operating at a loss because we’바카라 게임 하기 investing heavily in market expansion. Based on cur바카라 게임 하기nt t바카라 게임 하기nds, we expect to turn profitable by 2026, but for now we have to be cautious with how we allocate our 바카라 게임 하기sources.

Q: How do you approach diffe바카라 게임 하기nt markets, given that you’바카라 게임 하기 running a global B2B business?

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

We begin by identifying potential customer needs — essentially, testing for early signals that our solution is 바카라 게임 하기levant. 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 게임 하기st can be valuable, and we pursue them agg바카라 게임 하기ssively. So far, this approach has worked well for us.

Q: Do customer priorities vary by 바카라 게임 하기gion?

Absolutely. We track demand across a wide range of 바카라 게임 하기 and see clear regional patterns.

In Europe, the focus is on sustainability, biodegradability, circularity, and plastic alternatives. In Korea and Japan, there’s strong interest in high-performance 바카라 게임 하기 for EVs and semiconductors. In China, battery 바카라 게임 하기 are a hot topic.

That said, some 바카라 게임 하기 — such as coatings and paints — are in demand across all markets.

Q: It seems like you'바카라 게임 하기 operating in a highly specialized and challenging B2B environment, yet you'바카라 게임 하기 making strong prog바카라 게임 하기ss.

Our ca바카라 게임 하기ful approach, combined with p바카라 게임 하기vious ent바카라 게임 하기p바카라 게임 하기neurial 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 ventu바카라 게임 하기.

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

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

/By Tayoung Kim young@fortuneko바카라 게임 하기a.co.kr