[Selected Startups for the 2025 Leap Package by Gwangju Information & Content Agency] Sci-Key Biotech, Developing Obesity Therapeutics by Integrating Aptamer Technology with AI

Eun Young Kim, CEO and founder of Sci-Key Biotech

-Dr. Eun Young Kim brings over 20 years of dedicated research experience in biotechnology and metabolic diseases

-Developing a novel treatment to potentially succeed or complement GLP-1, the current cornerstone of the obesity drug market

Sci-Key Biotech, founded in September of 2020, is a biotechnology firm developing next-generation obesity therapeutics by integrating aptamer-based medicine utilizing AI technology.

Dr. Kim specializes in obesity, aging, metabolic diseases, and aptamer research. She holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in the United States at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). With over 20 years of research experience, her career includes more than 13 years at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB) and two years in the private sector before launching her venture.

Notably, during her time at the NIH, she was selected for the ‘2014 Korea-US BT Creative Economy Leader Program’, where she completed specialized training in commercialization through a mock startup initiative. Her business item at the time—aptamer-based therapeutic development—now serves as the foundation of Sci-Key Biotech.

Sci-Key Biotech is accelerating its R&D by merging AI technology with results derived from experimental wet-lab techniques. The company targets the future obesity market with a proprietary platform and drug candidates designed to offer a new alternative to GLP-1 receptor agonists, which currently dominates the field.

The firm is actively participating in international exhibitions for partnering purposes and pitching to global pharmaceutical companies. As a result of these efforts, Sci-Key Biotech won 1st place in the Novo Nordisk pitch competition in 2024 and tied for 2nd place in the Amgen pitch competition in 2022.

“We successfully closed our Pre-A funding round (KRW 1.6 billion) in the fourth quarter of 2024”, Kim stated. “We are planning our Series A round for the first half of 2026, with a specific focus on attracting international investment.”

Regarding her motivation for starting the business, Kim shared, “I had a goal to create and grow a company that meets my personal ideals. Based on market insights, technology, and experience I have cultivated, I wanted to design a venture where I could work to my full potential.”

Since the founding, Dr. Kim finds the most satisfaction in seeing her long-held technical ideas align with current market needs. “I feel a great sense of pride as we achieve our milestones one by one, secure team members who can grow with us, and feel the company’s expansion”, she said.

Looking ahead, Dr. Kim outlined her five-year roadmap: “Our goal is to develop our technology with an eye toward an M&A with a global pharmaceutical giant or an IPO. We aim to produce visible results through technology transfers (L/O) and joint research with global players, underpinned by a strong patent portfolio and technical scalability.”

Establishment Date: September 2020
Core Business: Development of aptamer-based obesity therapeutics and related technologies
Key Milestones: 2024: 1st Place, Novo Nordisk Pitch Competition. 2022: Joint 2nd Place, Amgen Pitch Competition. 2024 (Q4): Completed Pre-A funding (KRW 1.6 billion).

reporter jinho lee
jinho2323@hankyung.com