Hyundai Motor Group has announced the successful spin-off of three innovative startups, nurtured through its renowned in-house venture program, Zer01ne Company Builder. This strategic move underscores Hyundai’s commitment to fostering groundbreaking technologies and open innovation.
The three newly independent companies are Positive Flow, WhereB, and Jarbis, each focusing on critical technological advancements in diverse sectors: sleep tech, industrial safety, and automotive software, respectively.
**Positive Flow** is pioneering a smart mattress system designed to intelligently optimize sleeping conditions. This advanced system utilizes artificial intelligence (AI)-powered sensors embedded within the mattress to meticulously monitor users’ sleep patterns. It then automatically adjusts environmental factors like temperature and humidity to ensure an ideal sleep environment. Users can seamlessly track their sleep data and manually control settings via an integrated smartphone application, enhancing personalized comfort and wellness.
**WhereB** specializes in cutting-edge industrial safety solutions, leveraging high-precision positioning sensor technology. Their innovative system employs ultrawideband (UWB) signals exchanged between sensors attached to workers’ safety equipment and various industrial vehicles, including automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and trucks. This technology accurately detects the precise location of both personnel and machinery within a remarkable margin of error of less than 10 centimeters, significantly contributing to the prevention of workplace collisions and enhancing overall safety protocols.
**Jarbis** is dedicated to advancing the automotive software sector by providing sophisticated software tools and coding automation programs. This promising startup recently completed successful pilot projects focused on electronic control unit (ECU) software development. These collaborations were undertaken with key Hyundai Motor and Kia suppliers, including industry leaders such as DH Lighting, Pyeong Hwa Automotive, and Keyang Electric Machinery, demonstrating Jarbis’s impact on the automotive supply chain.
With these latest spin-offs, Hyundai Motor Group’s robust internal venture programs have now successfully launched a total of 44 independent startups, highlighting the program’s significant scale and effectiveness in driving innovation.
Participating teams in the Zer01ne Company Builder program are eligible to receive substantial development funding, up to 300 million won (approximately $196,000). They are granted up to a year to develop their products and refine business models. Following this incubation period, teams decide whether to transition into independent companies or pursue commercialization opportunities within the Hyundai Motor Group. A unique feature of the program allows participants the flexibility to return to Hyundai Motor Group within three years of their spin-off, providing a safety net and fostering continued collaboration.
Noh Kyu-seung, vice president of Zer01ne at Hyundai Motor and Kia’s Future Strategy Division, reaffirmed the group’s vision, stating, “We will continue to nurture creative and innovative startups across a wide range of fields through active open innovation.”
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