TechCrunch's annual Startup Battlefield 200 competition draws hundreds of companies from around the world each year, all vying for the chance to pitch before VCs and the international tech community at the Disrupt conference. This week, nine early-stage South Korean startups pitched at DETO 2026, a technology conference in Seoul, to earn a spot in next year's Startup Battlefield 200.
The startups span the deep tech sector, including healthcare, fintech, energy, semiconductors, and AI. All nine are looking to enter the U.S. market as part of broader international expansion plans.
Voinosis, which develops AI to detect changes in brain health through voice analysis, won the competition. The other eight startups are listed below in alphabetical order.
Voinosis
Voinosis is developing an AI tool that analyzes speech patterns—such as pitch, pauses, rhythm, and response times—to detect changes linked to brain health. Each voice check takes less than five minutes.
The company says its technology has been tested in Greek, Japanese, and English, and its product does not require separate training for each language. In a clinical study involving 146 participants, the startup claims its tech achieved 88% accuracy in screening for potential cognitive issues.
Voinosis targets hospitals, senior living facilities, insurers, and individual consumers. It also plans to link voice checks with cognitive training, assessments, and treatment provided by healthcare professionals. The startup was founded by Grace Shin, who spent more than 25 years as an otologic surgeon. Voinosis is currently raising a Series A round and has already secured a South Korean pharmaceutical company as a strategic investor.
Awesome Lab
Awesome Lab, based in Seoul, makes ThermoFlux, a heating system that uses water electrolysis and ionization to generate heat. The system can manage heat production for buildings, water supply, and industrial processes. The company says its technology can reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions.
For its international expansion, Awesome Lab is taking a different approach in each market. In the U.S., it plans to supply core OEM modules and work with boiler, water heater, and HVAC companies on product development.
Crosshub
Crosshub helps travelers and international visitors verify their identities and set up payment methods abroad. Its platform, IDBlock, combines identity verification and payment services using Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and zero-knowledge proof. The company says its platform helps users prove their identity across borders without sharing unnecessary personal information. Crosshub is also integrating this technology with payment systems to improve access to financial services for travelers.
DeepFusion AI
DeepFusion AI has developed a 4D radar-based imaging system with additional sensors for autonomous mobility, robotaxi, maritime surveillance, and defense applications. The system combines RF sensors with radar and lidar to detect objects, movement, or distance without a direct line of sight. All sensors are supposedly packed into a singl
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