WIM Selected for TIPS R&D Program by Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Sep 2024)

WIM was selected for TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startup), the private-investor-led deep-tech R&D program run by Korea's Ministry of SMEs and Startups, in September 2024.

TIPS is Korea's flagship deep-tech accelerator program. Private operating partners (angel investors and VCs) first identify and invest in promising startups; the government then matches that investment with R&D funding. Selected companies receive up to KRW 500M in R&D funding over two years, along with follow-on angel/VC connections, overseas market entry support, and commercialization funding. A TIPS selection signals that private investors have already validated the technology and business model, and it acts as significant leverage for subsequent funding rounds.

WIM will deploy the funding across three R&D axes. First, upgrades to the PLEM robot control software platform — specifically EtherCAT driver optimization, cuMotion-based trajectory generation quality, and multi-robot coordination. Second, in-house development of a real-time control kernel (RT Kernel) — a Preempt RT kernel optimization that guarantees 1ms (1kHz) cycle times on NVIDIA Jetson. Third, upgrades to the integrated AI inference and control pipeline.

The TIPS selection marks formal recognition of WIM in Korea's flagship deep-tech accelerator program, and validates — from both public and private evaluators — the technical differentiation of the WIM Robot Controller + PLEM full-stack AI robotics control solution.