Lynk Solutec Inc., the developer of a cap for endoscopy that prevents fogging and blood attachment, received the top prize in the Life Sciences category at the ‘Republic of Korea Outstanding Patent Awards’ for the first half of 2023. This event, organized by the hankookilbo and sponsored by the Korea Intellectual Property Office, comprehensively evaluates the expertise, technicality, feasibility, and productivity of patented technologies.

Lynk Solutec Inc. has designed a solution-based medical device to address the visibility challenges faced by endoscopy medical professionals. Previously, the attachment of blood, moisture, and smudges to endoscope lenses often resulted in a complete loss of visibility, necessitating frequent lens cleaning. This posed risks to patients, exposing them to infection and inflammation, while medical professionals also complained of fatigue due to an approximately 20% increase in surgical procedure time.

Lynk Solutec Inc. has developed the ‘Clear Endo Vision’ endoscopy cap, which prevents the attachment of not only moisture but also blood, various viscosities of mucus, bacteria, and all foreign substances. They have secured a fundamental patent for this innovation. As a result, future endoscopy procedures are expected to lead to medical innovations such as the elimination of cleaning procedures, reduced surgical time, and increased patient safety.

The core technology applied in this patent is the nano-coating technique, specifically a nano-coating technology that fundamentally inhibits various medical side effects and blood clot formation that can occur before and after surgery. This technology effectively prevents the attachment of various viscosity biomaterials (such as blood and mucus) and infectious agents, making it applicable to complex structures and various materials, thanks to the flexibility of the material.

Dr. Seo Jungmok, CEO of Lynk Solutec Inc., stated, “We are not only applying nano-coating technology to endoscopy caps but also driving its commercialization in various medical devices.” He added, “We plan to apply it to various medical devices, including orthopedic artificial joints and dental implants in the future.” To achieve this, Lynk Solutec Inc. is planning collaborations with global medical device companies and exploring opportunities for international market expansion.

On June 28th, Daily Partners, a specialized venture capital firm in the field of bio and healthcare, launched the ‘2023 D’LABS DEMO DAY’ at Seoul Sonofelice Convention Center.

Held biannually, the Daily Partners Demo Day provides a platform for promising startups with innovative bio and healthcare technologies to present their Investor Relations (IR) sessions. Industry experts and investors participate, discussing various collaborative avenues and investments, fostering a hub of exchange.

Companies presenting at this year’s first-half Demo Day included Neuroxty, Seaweed, Lynk Solutec, TCBiosciences, Mirim Gene, Cascure Therapeutics, DeepCardio, and RevoSketch.

Among the participating startups, Neuroxty introduced an AI-based imaging biomarker platform for simultaneous diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders. Seaweed highlighted the potential of seaweed-based cultured meat. Lynksolutec unveiled endoscopes designed to prevent fogging and blood adhesion, while TCBiosciences presented their pipeline of innovative low-molecular-weight anticancer agents.

Given the slump in the bioventure IPO market since the second half of 2021, coupled with the global economic crisis affecting investment banking (IB), opportunities for companies to engage in IR have substantially diminished.

The Daily Partners event has been met with enthusiasm by the bio-industry. A representative from the bio-industry who participated in the Demo Day stated, “As bio investments rapidly decline, we find ourselves in a situation where not only funding but also IR opportunities are scarce. Amid uncertain prospects for subsequent investments, Daily Partners’ Demo Day stands as a significant force for the bioventure industry.”

At present, Daily Partners holds venture capital, private equity (PE), and TIPS (Technology Innovation Program for SMEs) licenses. Recently, it was selected as the operator for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ Scale-up TIPS Program (4th term), positioning itself as a VC capable of investing throughout the investment cycle. Their assets under management (AUM) amount to around 400 billion KRW.

Lee Seungho, CEO of Daily Partners, stated, “Since the reestablishment of Daily Partners in 2018, we have been hosting biannual Demo Days every year.” He continued, “Even in challenging market situations, we consistently support our investment portfolio companies’ IR and PR efforts, aiming to assist fundraising and business development. We are unwavering in our commitment to conducting the event.”

[Reported by NBNTV Journalist Im Seongji]

Lynk Solutec is a startup specializing in the development of coating materials that prevent the attachment of blood and bacteria to endoscope lenses. Founded in July 2020 by Seo Jungmok, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at Yonsei University.

CEO Seo introduced Lynksolutec as a company commercializing nano-coating technology that has been developed in collaboration with researchers for a long period.

Nano-coating is a medical device coating technology that inherently inhibits thrombosis and side effects caused by bacteria.

“The advancement of medical equipment has been linked to the development of medical technology, saving countless lives through treatment. Among them, endoscopes are the only tools for observing our body precisely during surgery, and the clear condition of the lens is especially important. While conducting collaborative research with doctors, we learned about persistent issues that occur during endoscopic surgery. During surgery using endoscopes, the lens frequently becomes obscured due to factors such as fogging from the patient’s respiration or bleeding caused by tissue excision. Traditionally, approaches like attaching devices injecting saline solution or using anti-fog agents were used to address these issues. However, saline solution runs the risk of being aspirated into the respiratory system during bronchial-related surgeries, and the anti-fog agents have limitations in preventing blood attachment,” CEO Seo explained.

He began researching ways to fundamentally prevent visual impairment beyond the conventional methods. As a result, they developed a nano-coating that can inherently prevent the attachment of any substance.

“The nano-coating technology of Lynksolutec uniformly applies a very thin liquid to the surface. This liquid can inherently inhibit the attachment of substances, such as water vapor, blood, and bacteria, that cause issues before and after surgery on the surface of medical devices. The nano-coating can be directly applied to various materials of medical devices, including metals, ceramics, and polymers,” he added. He further stated that they plan to expand the application of nano-coating technology to various medical devices such as orthopedic artificial joints, dental implants, urological stents and catheters, and ECMO.

“Recent advancements in laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgeries have significantly reduced surgery times and incision sites. However, the only method of observing the surgical area remains endoscopy. Due to the attachment of steam and blood during surgery, there is a significant inconvenience requiring personnel to constantly clean the endoscope on-site. Depending on the level of standardization at different hospitals and the proficiency of individuals, the frequency of adverse events varies, resulting in substantial costs for education and management. The nano-coating technology developed by Lynksolutec can inherently inhibit the attachment of substances that cause harmful effects to the surface of medical devices. The advantage of this item lies in its infinite potential applications. The fact that doctors are directly participating in research and development is also a competitive advantage.”

CEO Seo was asked about how he started the business. He said, “While conducting research, I always dreamed of seeing the technology I had developed being practically applied and commercialized. During this time, doctors who were experiencing inconvenience using endoscopes showed interest in Lynksolutec’s technology, which led me to challenge entrepreneurship. Through preliminary startup packages, leading laboratory startup projects, and initial startup packages, we have been able to consistently pursue research and development.”

In 2022, Lynk Solutec received investment from Daily Partners and Yonsei University’s technology holding company. It was also selected for TIPS.

Regarding future plans, CEO Seo said, “We will focus on obtaining medical device approvals for the commercialization of caps for endoscope vision, which is our first product. We also plan to enter foreign markets through collaboration with global medical device companies.”

[HanKyung Job & Joy, Reporter Lee Jin-Ho]

Yonsei University Technology Holding Company, led by CEO Kim Ji-hyun, has announced that they have successfully secured a ₩1 billion seed investment for Lynk Solutec, a specialized bio-medical device company.

Lynk Solutec, founded in July 2020, is built on the foundation of the nano-coating technology developed by Professor Seo Jung-mok’s research team at Yonsei University. The company possesses innovative medical device coating technology that prevents the adhesion of infection factors such as blood and bacteria on the surfaces of various medical devices and effectively inhibits thrombus formation, thus addressing a wide range of pre-and post-surgical side effects.

Currently, Lynk Solutec is focusing on the development of a technology that resolves the problem of impaired visibility in medical endoscopy due to blood and mucus during surgery. Based on this breakthrough, they plan to introduce products that completely eliminate side effects associated with transplantable medical device materials, such as medical tubes, plastic surgery implants, and stents.

The seed investment was made jointly by Yonsei University Technology Holding Company and Daily Partners, a specialized bio-venture capital firm. The investment took place during Lynk Solutec’s business expansion phase as they received technology transfer from Yonsei University’s Industry-Academic Cooperation Division.

Kim Ji-hyun, CEO of Yonsei University Technology Holding Company and concurrently the Director of the Industry-Academic Cooperation Division, expressed, “The technology holding company has supported Lynk Solutec’s growth through technology commercialization programs, ranging from startup preparation to business validation through the Ministry of Education’s BRIDGE+ program, investment utilizing university startup funds, and subsequent R&D support through TIPS (Technology Innovation Program Support).” She further stated, “We plan to continue our support to ensure the successful commercialization of Yonsei University’s outstanding research outcomes.”

With this recent investment, Lynk Solutec aims to advance their nano-coating technology called Lynk Coating to achieve 1st or 2nd grade medical device approval and commercialization. They also plan to intensify their R&D efforts for developing coating technology that can be applied to all medical materials.

• Image: Endoscopic consumables with nano-coating technology to prevent blood and mucus attachment.
• Joint investment by Yonsei University Technology Holding Company and Daily Partners.

Kyung Hee University’s Campus Town Business Unit, led by President Han Guntai, announced that on the past Friday, the 14th, they hosted the ‘CampaVision’ Demo Day through a live broadcast on YouTube at the Dance Department Building on the Seoul Campus.

During this Demo Day, nine exceptional startups nurtured by the Business Unit participated. These resident startups presented their business ideas, progress updates, and growth potential. Accelerator representatives and venture capital professionals were on-site to evaluate these aspects.

The panel of judges included Huh Yoonseok, Director of Daesung Startup Investment Co., Ltd., Yang Kyungjoon, CEO of Crypton Co., Ltd., Go Yeongha, Chairman of the Korea Association of Angel Investors, Cho Myeongwoo, CEO of Bain Ventures Co., Ltd., and Choi Gyeonghee, Partner at Sopoong Ventures Co., Ltd.

The judges assessed the originality of the startup ideas, the feasibility of their execution and potential for growth, market viability in terms of revenue, and the presentation skills of the participants. The event unfolded with team presentations followed by interactive question and answer sessions.

Among the participating resident startups were MindsGround (CEO Min Hwangi), Merlin’s Beard (CEO Kim Byungsoo), Bevery Wear (CEO Yang Hyeri), Kiwi Studio (CEO Park Cheonmyeong), Danpoonggori (CEO Kim Beomseok), Panacura (CEO Jang Hyeongjin), Lynk Solutec (CEO Seo Jeongmok), Umtul (CEO Park Seongryul), and EdmicBio (CEO Ha Dongheon).

The grand prize was awarded to Kiwi Studio, while Lynk Solutec Co., Ltd. received the top honor, and Panacura Co., Ltd. and EdmicBio Co., Ltd. were recognized with excellence awards.

Lynk Solutec, the recipient of the top honor, is a subsidiary of Yonsei University’s technology holding company. Leveraging their nano-thin film coating technology designed to prevent the attachment of blood, viruses, and bacteria, they are pioneering the development of safe and swift medical devices for patient treatment. Presently, they are focused on the development of an endoscopic cap to prevent fogging and blood attachment, crucial for maintaining a clear endoscopic view.

Over the past two years, the Business Unit has organized two startup competitions, selecting 69 teams, providing approximately 480 million KRW in startup support funds and prize money. The resident startups have attracted around 8 billion KRW in investments across 8 projects and secured approximately 4 billion KRW in government support for 87 projects.

Generating approximately 2.6 billion KRW in revenue, the startups have significantly contributed to activating the local economy of Dongdaemun-gu. The Business Unit’s commitment continues, aiming to provide tailored support to young entrepreneurs, leveraging the capabilities of the university and the local community.

[Reported by Beta News Journalist Kang Gyusoo]