Flexa: "CEO Kim Woojin Wins Top Prize at Research Institute Deep Tech Startup IR"

Flexa, a company specializing in the manufacture of AI-based medical devices for interventional procedures, announced on October 30 that CEO Kim Woojin had won the top prize, the Chairperson’s Award of the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST), at the “2026 Government-Funded Research Institutes Deep Tech Venture Startup Planning Challenge IR.”

The event was held on October 28. Kim won the top prize after presenting a strategy to automate and localize the manufacturing process for medical devices used in interventional procedures, using AI-based autonomous manufacturing technology.

Flexa was founded by Kim, who holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), drawing on his more than 15 years of research experience in medical device manufacturing. The company aims to transform the manufacturing process for interventional medical devices and standardize quality by applying AI-based autonomous manufacturing technology.

Interventional procedures are minimally invasive treatments in which slender medical devices, such as catheters, are inserted into blood vessels or other parts of the body. They require precise medical device manufacturing technology, but the relevant processes currently rely heavily on skilled workers performing tasks by hand. This limits production efficiency and quality consistency. The high reliance on imports in South Korea’s interventional medical device market is also a challenge.

Flexa is advancing its manufacturing processes by collecting and analyzing data generated during production and applying AI inspection and active feedback control technologies. Its core approach is to shift from conventional, manual production methods to data-driven intelligent processes.

In particular, the company’s core technology strategy is “Harmonic Manufacturing,” which combines manufacturing domain expertise, AI models, and medical device regulatory expertise. Flexa plans to accumulate manufacturing data, standardize inspection criteria, and progressively implement technology that autonomously adjusts process conditions to reduce quality variations and improve production efficiency.

Kim previously served as head of the Biomedical Production Technology Center at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH), where he supported medical device companies in improving product design and manufacturing processes. He has accumulated more than 15 years of research experience, particularly in manufacturing interventional medical devices such as catheters, and identified technical limitations in existing manufacturing processes and the need to improve them.

Flexa plans to further develop its AI-based autonomous manufacturing technology in stages and support clients in automating their manufacturing processes and strengthening their quality competitiveness. Its goal is to expand the domestic production base for interventional medical devices and reduce reliance on imports.

“We will grow into a contract research, development, and manufacturing company that provides integrated support from research and development through manufacturing, so that ideas from the medical field can lead to the development and production of actual products,” CEO Kim Woojin said. “We will work to strengthen the manufacturing competitiveness of South Korea’s interventional medical device industry and contribute to building a localization ecosystem.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.