MYSC Executes Seed Investment in AI Medical Solution ‘WALK101’... Connected to TIPS Selection

Merry Year Social Company (MYSC) has executed a seed investment in WALK101, an AI-based musculoskeletal X-ray reading assistance solution company. The amount is undisclosed. WALK101 is a digital healthcare company developing technology that automatically analyzes X-ray images and generates quantified reports to solve the shortage of radiologists. With this investment, it plans to accelerate technology advancement and global market expansion. Particularly, WALK101 was selected for the TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup) program of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups upon MYSC's recommendation. Through this, the company will be able to strengthen its core technical capabilities, including the advancement of integrated musculoskeletal AI models, strengthening self-learning based on clinical data, and developing an international standard medical imaging (DICOM) automatic generation engine. The flagship product, 'WALK101', is a Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) that analyzes musculoskeletal X-ray images to assist specialists in reading. It can read more than 20 musculoskeletal parts with a single model and increases the work efficiency of medical staff by integrating with hospital Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR). Currently, WALK101 has obtained Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) certification for five types, including the knee, foot, and spine, and plans to expand this to over 20 types. Additionally, an integration technology verification (PoC) is underway with the domestic PACS company Infinitt Healthcare, and it is increasing the accuracy of AI models by collecting actual clinical data after obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. The company is pursuing entry into the Southeast Asian market based on its secured technological prowess. It is in the process of medical device registration in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, where radiologists are in short supply, and plans to increase its market share by cooperating with local PACS operators. Team Leader Byun Joon-jae of MYSC stated, "We expect social impact and industrial innovation as a solution that can solve the medical infrastructure gap and the shortage of specialists." CEO Dongsik Chae of WALK101 said, "I have led the technology development and licensing process based on my experience as a radiologist. Taking this investment as an opportunity, we will proceed with multi-country clinical demonstrations and contribute to resolving global medical gaps through Korean medical AI."