Robotics and AI expert Byungsoo Kim seeks to understand industry challenges first, and then find ways to apply technology to make operations run smoother, products work better, and customer experiences more powerful. To achieve this, Byungsoo had to find the right industry to use his AI development skills. After looking for opportunities in various verticals such as automotives and drones, he decided to focus on warehouse logistics. He founded Motion2AI, a startup that provides intelligent unmanned fleet management solutions for industrial spaces, with a focus on optimal workflows using vision-based technology. Motion2AI’s end-to-end software uses real-time location sensors in a “motion kit” tool to seamlessly connect fleets, employees, and managers, allowing them to work more efficiently—a unique technological solution to a physical spatial issue.

To bring his ideas to market, Byungsoo sought training and mentoring as part of the Google for Startups Residency program at the Google for Startups Campus in Seoul. “We got so much support from the Campus Seoul team, including training in marketing and OKRs (objectives and key results), help from Google Research teams, and space to meet with investors and customers,” said Byungsoo. The most valuable aspect of his training, he recalled, was gaining a better understanding of business. “I once worked with the ambition of ‘Wow, with technology, we can really change the future.’ However, it was hard to develop the technology first and then apply the business model around it. Thanks to my experience with Google for Startups, I now understand the importance of developing a good business model that fits customers’ needs.”

Similarly, Byungsoo credits Google technology with helping to get his business moving forward. In addition to Google Analytics and Google Workspace (formerly G Suite), Motion2AI uses Google Cloud TensorFlow (TF) for machine learning (ML) engineering and production. “TensorFlow provides a unified ML framework to manage a wide range of hardware specifications, with the scalability to quickly cover more customers,” explained Byungsoo. “And TF2.0 has become a welcome tool for both research and product teams.” The company is now poised for global expansion, winning startup support from the government’s “KOTRA Global Jump 300” program. “Our mission is to apply artificial intelligence to the entire ecosystem related to logistics warehouse mobility,” he said. “We are constantly looking toward the future.”