Samsung Unveils Five New C-Lab Startups to Support

South Korean multinational electronics company Samsung Electronics announced Monday that it will support five startups that spun off from its C-Lab Inside in-house incubation program.

In a statement, the electronics giant said it would support the startups created by Samsung employees. These startups include Blockbuster, a video edition application; Hyler, a smart highlighter that allows analog text to be digitized and transferred to mobile devices; and Haxby, a smart study note service that records incorrect answers from workbooks and recommends worksheets based on the learner’s ability level.

The five new startups also include SunnyFive, a window-shaped lighting device that produces artificial sunlight, and RootSensor, a new type of sensor that records daily UV exposure and utilizes its wide incident angle to minimize detection loss.

C-Lab Inside, started in December 2012, nurtures employees’ innovative ideas while instilling a corporate culture where creativity is at the fore. The program, according to Samsung, supports the development of ideas from all areas of the business.

The spin-off program provides startups with the investment and business consulting needed to help them grown. Samsung also offers a five-year window during which employees who launch startups can return to their jobs if their endeavors prove unsuccessful.

So far, 163 Samsung employees have established 45 startups without having to fear that they are risking their careers. These startups have raised USD45 million in funding over the years.

“These results illustrate Samsung’s commitment to investing in employee-driven innovation and promoting the South Korean startup ecosystem,” according to Inkuh Hahn, Vice President and Head of the Creativity & Innovation Center at Samsung Electronics.

“Going forward, we will continue working to unlock Samsung employees’ potential for creative innovation while encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit,” Hahn added.

Among the successful startups in the C-Lab program are Breathings, which produces breath analysis device for intelligent training; Kitten Planet, which launched a smart toothbrush that use an AR guide to educate kids on who to brush effectively; and Mangoslab, which recently released a portable printer that prints memos onto sticky notes without the need for toner.