[The CEO of Jeju National University Early-Stage Startup Package 2025] 'ZIOLABS,' a company that provides more time to farmers through cutting-edge ICT technology

KO YOUNG IL, CEO of ZIOLABS

Developing a 'monitoring and pest control robot like a robot vacuum cleaner' by focusing on the unmanned operation of monitoring and pest control services
Differentiating itself from existing services by incorporating monitoring automation on top of basic autonomous driving

ZIOLABS is a company that leverages advanced ICT technology to pursue precision agriculture and provide more time to farmers. CEO Ko Young Il (40) founded the company in March 2023.

ZIOLABS was founded by researchers who had been working on national agricultural projects. "At the time, while working as researchers, we realized that if we continued staying at the university lab, we wouldn’t be able to create the services that farmers truly required, so we boldly stepped out and started this company."

The main service areas are unmanned operation and automation of next-generation smart farms. "We take a slightly different approach compared to conventional smart farms, which are often referred to as simple automation. ZIOLABS believes that precision agriculture and sustainable agriculture should ultimately converge to require virtually zero intervention from farmers. All the services we develop are focused on the question, 'How can farming be continued while minimizing farmers' intervention?' Currently, we specialize in the monitoring and pest control sector, which poses the greatest risks to human life among numerous farming tasks, and starting from this, we are developing toward harvesting and increasing production."

Among the many services being developed by ZIOLABS, the primary focus in 2025 is the unmanned operation of monitoring and pest control services. "The terms monitoring and pest control may sound quite unfamiliar. Monitoring refers to the process of preventing crops from being damaged by pests and diseases in an agricultural environment, while pest control involves applying pesticides to crops based on the results of monitoring. While carrying out monitoring and pest control tasks, we are technologically solving various problems that arise, and in short, we are developing a 'monitoring and pest control robot like a robot vacuum cleaner.' The core concept of the service is to identify pests and diseases in crops of farms, predict changes in the farm environment, and automatically perform pest control all without farmers' intervention.' To achieve this, a wide range of cutting-edge technologies, such as autonomous driving, AI, sensors, vision recognition, and robotics, are incorporated throughout."

CEO Ko emphasized, "ZIOLABS is focused on the feasibility and scalability of its services." "The name of the total solution being developed by ZIOLABS is 'ZioFarm,' but among them, the 'monitoring–pest control robot' does not have a name yet. There may be many products that simply highlight autonomous driving, but the real reason autonomous driving is necessary is to automate or make unmanned pest control. Therefore, we incorporate monitoring automation while having autonomous driving as a basic function to differentiate ourselves from the services currently being developed by other companies."

ZIOLABS products are currently made to order, and the company is planning to begin mass production in the first half of next year. "First of all, we plan to set up demonstration centers nationwide so that farmers can purchase and test the products. And since the automation and agricultural robotics market is much larger abroad than domestically, we are keeping a close eye on food crops in Southeast Asia."

After founding the company, CEO Ko said, "The greatest reward is establishing a partnership-like relationship focused on how we can solve problems together," and added, "The most fulfilling and happiest part is seeing each member bring ideas that had only existed in their minds to life one by one and overcoming challenges along the way."

ZIOLABS is composed of a total of five members, including CEO Ko. "General Manager Yang Geuntak, who oversees R&D; Manager Kim Jinsuk, who is in charge of software development; Assistant Manager Yoo Hyewon, who handles 3D modeling and multimedia; Associate Byun Hyowon, who manages farm validation and external administration; as well as several university professors, Ph. D.s from related institutions, and partner company CEOs are supporting us."

Regarding future plans, CEO Ko said, "We have a 15-year, three-phase master plan for precision agriculture and agricultural automation/unmanned operation," and added, "We are currently about 60% through the first phase, which focuses on damage minimization. Six years from now, in the second phase, we will focus on production automation, and five years after that, in the third phase, we will pursue efficiency maximization, with the dream of becoming a global AgTech company that lays the foundation for the future of agriculture."

Founded: March 2023
Main Business: Development of precision agriculture robots, development of agricultural AI and application software, smart farm sensor IoT and custom production, and prototype custom production for early-stage startups
Achievements: 2023 NIA AI Training Data Project for orchard robot driving data; 2024 Startup Growth Technology Development Project for AI soil moisture management system and sensors; 2024 Rural Development Administration Industry-Academia Cooperation Research for the development of unmanned monitoring systems in agricultural fields using AutoRollTrap and digital pest control technology; 2025 Early-Stage Startup Package; 2025 Rural Development Administration Agricultural Science and Technology R&D Project for automated analysis of monitoring and prediction data and pest control decision support system; 2025 Kibo Venture Camp; 2025 establishment of an in-house research institute (Future Precision Agriculture Research Center)

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com