Grand Prize Winner of Gyeongnam SHOOT-UP IR Competition
Solving Rural Aging & Labor Shortage Issues
Achieved Up to 8x Increase in Spraying Efficiency
CEO Cheon Il-Jun: “Recommended by Gyeongnam Startup Acceleration Center”
A Startup Pioneering Large-Scale Agricultural Drone Spraying Technology Enters a New Growth Phase with Gyeongnam Province’s Support
MobilityLab Inc. (CEO Cheon Il-Jun), a startup that has successfully implemented technology for large-scale agricultural pesticide spraying using multiple drones, is entering a new phase of growth with support from Gyeongnam Province.
After being selected for the 2024 Preliminary Startup Package, organized by the Gyeongnam Creative Economy Innovation Center, MobilityLab has achieved remarkable milestones, including winning the grand prize at a local IR competition and receiving multiple seed investment offers.
The Preliminary Startup Package is a program hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and the Korea Startup Promotion Agency, sponsored by Gyeongnam Province, and operated by the Gyeongnam Creative Economy Innovation Center. It provides extensive support for innovative startups, enabling them to grow stably by offering business model (BM) enhancement, mentoring, startup education, networking, and funding—up to 100 million KRW per company (with an average of 48 million KRW per company) for commercialization.
Outstanding Achievements in Startup Competitions
Through this program, MobilityLab received support for its 2024 Preliminary Startup Package and went on to win the grand prize (Minister of SMEs and Startups Award) at the first Gyeongnam SHOOT-UP IR Competition. Furthermore, in December 2023, the company was selected as a COME-UP TOP10 finalist, further cementing its industry recognition.
Tackling Rural Aging and Labor Shortages with Smart Agricultural Solutions
As the first company in Korea to develop and commercialize swarm autonomous flight technology, MobilityLab is leading unmanned pest control innovations.
The company has successfully enhanced pesticide spraying efficiency by up to 800% by developing a proprietary swarm autonomous flight system, allowing multiple drones to collaborate autonomously.
This technology is powered by RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) GPS for precise location tracking and collision avoidance algorithms, ensuring centimeter-level accuracy. Unlike standard GPS, which has an error margin of several meters, RTK-based positioning significantly enhances precision, enabling high-accuracy autonomous drone operations.
CEO Cheon Il-Jun highlighted the key differentiation of swarm autonomous flight drones, stating,
“Unlike single-drone spraying, our technology enables large-scale farmland to be treated simultaneously. This smart pest control solution replaces manual labor, addressing the challenges of an aging agricultural workforce and labor shortages.”
He further explained that this technology can increase pesticide coverage by 800%, reduce farmers’ costs by one-third, and shorten spraying time by one-tenth, thereby significantly boosting agricultural productivity.
Expanding Beyond Agriculture: Diverse Industry Applications
Beyond agricultural spraying, MobilityLab is actively exploring applications in various industries, including forest pest control, smart city security, and disaster response.
CEO Cheon emphasized,
“Swarm autonomous flight drone technology is a game-changer not only for agriculture but also for numerous industries.”
For example, wildfire detection, disaster relief operations, and air quality monitoring are potential use cases where swarm drone technology can provide powerful solutions.
Vision for the Future: A Leader in Global Smart Agriculture
When asked about the company’s long-term vision, Cheon stated,
“Our goal is to become the leading player in the agricultural spraying market while building competitiveness in the global smart agriculture sector. To achieve this, we will continue our technology development, market expansion, and collaborations with various industries.”
Recognizing the Impact of the Gyeongnam Startup Ecosystem
Reflecting on his startup journey, CEO Cheon acknowledged the importance of mentorship and structured guidance from the Gyeongnam Creative Economy Innovation Center:
“Participating in the 2024 Preliminary Startup Package was an incredible opportunity. Through professional mentoring and training, we refined our IR materials and development plans, significantly improving our business strategy.”
He further shared,
“We are now receiving multiple seed investment proposals. For aspiring entrepreneurs considering the Preliminary Startup Package, I strongly recommend the Gyeongnam Creative Economy Innovation Center as an invaluable resource for launching and scaling a startup.”
This article was produced with the cooperation of the Gyeongnam Creative Economy Innovation Center.
