K-ICT Born2Global Center and its Members ② Bagel Labs

Bagel Labs announced Tuesday it will be releasing its smart tape measure through the U.S. crowdfunding site Kickstarter on June 29. Bagel Labs is a start-up that was founded in May 2015 and entered the Start-up Campus in Pangyo in March 2016. The smart tape measure produced by the company, which digitally measures length using a mini-mechanical device and precision sensor, is already gaining attention both in Korea and overseas.　 The smart tape measure can determine length using any of three mod

June 16, 2016

SK Plantet named e-commerce company of the year

[THE INVESTOR] SK Planet has been named the Telecom eCommerce Service Provider of the Year for its mobile marketing brand Syrup, the company said Thursday.The award was presented to the firm at the 2016 Asia Pacific ICT Awards in Singapore on Wednesday. It was hosted by the consulting firm Frost & Sullivan and this was the 13th year of the awards.　Frost & Sullivan said that SK Planet was chosen for the award because Syrup had increased value to customers through omni-channel competitiveness, and

June 16, 2016

[ANALYST REPORT] Samsung Electronics: 2Q16 preview

We now expect Samsung Electronics (SEC) to post operating profit of KRW7.65tn (+15% QoQ) for 2Q16, driven mainly by strong sales of Galaxy S7 smartphones. SEC has recently been establishing clear leadership over rivals in technological advancement, backed by bold, preemptive investments. We thus maintain our BUY rating for SEC and raise our target price to KRW1,650,000.2Q16 previewFor 2Q16, we expect SEC to report sales of KRW50.03tn (+0.5% QoQ), operating profit of KRW7.65tn (+15% QoQ), and net

June 16, 2016

Netflix to expand presence in Korea

[THE INVESTOR] Netflix, the US-based streaming giant, is hiring Korean staff at its local unit to strengthen its presence in the market. The company recently posted four job openings on its own website and LinkedIn, including senior software engineer, partner marketing manager, integrated producer and business development director.The world’s largest video-streaming service with more than 70 million subscribers launched its Korean service in January this year. The Korean launch came as part of t

June 16, 2016

Samsung launches $140 Galaxy On5 in US

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is making a big push in the US budget smartphone market with its planned launch of the $140 Galaxy On5. According to CNET, the phone will be sold by both T-Mobile and its prepaid brand, MetroPCS. It comes in at $140 outright, or for zero down payment and $5.83 a month for 24 months. Samsung Galaxy On5Key features include a 5-inch display, a 5-megapizel camera with an LED flash on the back, a 2-megapixel camera on the front and a 2,600mAh battery. Previously, th

June 16, 2016

Samsung acquires US cloud service start-up Joyent

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics said on June 16 it has acquired a US-based cloud service provider Joyent in its latest start-up shopping spree. With the acquisition, Samsung aims to strengthen its presence in the soaring cloud market, offering more advanced mobile services in the era of the Internet of Things technology. Detailed terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Screen capture of Joyent`s homepage“Samsung evaluated a wide range of potential companies in the public and private cloud infr

June 16, 2016

Samsung Display tops global AMOLED sales: IHS

[THE INVESTOR]Samsung Display has topped global sales of small and midsized active mode organic-light emitting diode display in the first quarter, a market research firm said on June 16. The display-making unit of Samsung Electronics dominated with 30.6 percent market share in terms of sales, followed by Japan Display with 17.1 percent and LG Display with 12.9 percent in the first three months of the year, according to the IHS.In terms of shipments, Samsung’s AMOLED displays made up about 14.4 p

June 16, 2016

LG launches ‘Mosquito Away TV’ in India

[THE INVESTOR] LG Electronics on June 16 announced the launch of a new brand of television, called “Mosquito Away TV,” in India where concerns about mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, Zika and dengue fever are high. The new TV set generates ultrasonic waves so that mosquitos are repelled and won’t flock to the TV screen. The ultrasonic waves, however, do not bother viewers, the company said. LG also said it plans to launch the brand in other Southeast Asian markets.The Korean tech giant said

June 16, 2016

Samsung’s new Galaxy Note to feature curved screen

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is expected to adopt a curved screen for its new Galaxy Note to replicate the sales momentum of its hot-selling Galaxy S7 Edge. According to news reports on June 16, the Korean tech giant plans to start rolling out the upcoming Note Phablet from July with the initial production estimated to stand at about 2.5 million units per month. A leaked snap of an invite graphic shared by SamMobile.Samsung declined to confirm the reports. The company is scheduled to hold

June 16, 2016

DRAM price forecast to bounce back

[THE INVESTOR] Demand for DRAM memory chips has slightly picked up as more Chinese smartphone firms adopt the memory chips, according to market watchers. Some also predicted that the upward trend could continue for a while.The increased demand has consequently driven up the price of DRAM chips.The price of a DDR3 2Gb chip stands at $0.934, up from $0.888 several days ago, according to market research firm DRAMeXchange.The main contributing factor for the price increase is that more Chinese smart

June 16, 2016

UHD to become new norm in TV market

UHD to become new norm in TV market[THE INVESTOR] The chief of a global industry group that sets ultra-high definition technology standards said the UHD technology will soon replace high definition technology to become a new norm in the global TV industry. Speaking with Korean reporters in Seoul on Wednesday, UHD Alliance president Hanno Basse said members of the alliance will continue to make concerted efforts to improve the viewing experience of TVs.“It will not take long for UHD TVs to replac

June 16, 2016

Seoul holds NYC summit for local start-ups

[THE INVESTOR] Korea’s state-run agencies held a conference in New York City on June 15 (local time) to help local start-ups gain foothold in the U.S. Korea’s trade promotion agency KOTRA and Small and Medium Business Administration hosted “Korea Startup Summit NYC 2016” at New York City’s Microsoft Technology Center, inviting 15 promising local start-ups and five start-ups that have already entered the U.S. market. More than 50 investors from major American cities, including New York City, Bost

June 16, 2016

247 Korea to launch self-defense smartphone case via Kickstarter next month

[THE INVESTOR] Start-up company 247 Korea announced that it would be launching a self-defense smartphone case through crowdfunding site Kickstarter in July. If the launch via Kickstarter is successful, the company plans to pitch its product on Indiegogo, another crowdfunding site, as well. Intended to serve as a means of self-defense, the smartphone case developed and produced by 247 Korea is equipped with a Taser-like stun gun that extends from the case upon the recognition of the user’s finger

June 16, 2016

AMOLED display to become cheaper than LCD next year

[THE INVESTOR] The price of active-matrix organic light-emitting diodes, or AMOLED, for mobile devices is expected to drop below that of a liquid crystal display, according to market research firm IHS on June 15.A 5.5-inch AMOLED display, currently priced at $34, is expected to become cheaper at $25 to $28. But liquid cystal display, or LCD, prices will remain flat at around $26 to $29 in the first quarter next year, IHS said.Samsung Display’s improved production capacity is one of the biggest c

June 15, 2016

Korea opens global startup center at Pangyo campus

[THE INVESTOR] A “global business support center” was opened in the Pangyo Startup Campus – the hub for digital business startups – on June 15. The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said that the center will be a “gateway” for local startups to engage with overseas investors and to enter foreign markets. The center is responsible for establishing a database of information related to startups here and provide potential overseas investors with this information.  Pangyo Startup Campus.It

June 15, 2016

Samsung to launch cheapest smartphone Galaxy On7 in Korea

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is expected to launch another budget smartphone Galaxy On7 in Korea in the coming weeks via SK Telecom, sources said on June 15. 　The model is the Korean tech giant’s cheapest smartphone that is sold at 10,190 rupees ($153) exclusively in India currently. 　Launched in November, the phone features a 5.5-inch HD Display, a 13 million pixel rear camera, a 5 million pixel front camera and a 3000mAh battery. Samsung's cheapest smartphone Galaxy On7Sources said the K

June 15, 2016

247 Korea to launch self-defense smartphone case via Kickstarter next month

Start-up company 247 Korea announced Monday that it would be launching a self-defense smartphone case through crowdfunding site Kickstarter in July. If the launch via Kickstarter is successful, the company plans to pitch its product on Indiegogo, another crowdfunding site, as well. Intended to serve as a means of self-defense, the smartphone case developed and produced by 247 Korea is equipped with a Taser-like stun gun that extends from the case upon the recognition of the user’s fingerprint vi

June 15, 2016

Kakao to shut online video service Daum TV Pot

[THE INVESTOR] Mobile messenger Kakao will end its video service Daum TV Pot and combine it with streaming video service KakaoTV in September.Daum TV Pot features around 270 channels, in collaboration with TV broadcasters, content firms and individuals who run their own online broadcasting channels.Users can share video content posted on KakaoTV on Kakao’s other social network services including KakaoTalk and KakaoStory.Free on-demand movies, Web dramas, and live-streaming videos are available o

June 15, 2016

Samsung lures game aficionados with VR tech

[THE INVESTOR] Samsung Electronics is showcasing its Galaxy S7 smartphone and virtual reality headset Gear VR at the E2 2016, the world’s largest game trade show, held in Los Angeles from June 14 to 16.The Galaxy S7 and its curved-display variant Galaxy S7 edge are the first smartphones that support the Vulkan, a cross-platform application programming interface which can improve the graphics of mobile games by fully utilizing multi-core mobile processors.At the trade show, Samsung also showcased

June 15, 2016