Korea-based AI search service Open Research has raised 10 billion KRW (around 7.5 million USD) in seed funding. The round was co-led by LB Investment and Mirae Asset Capital/Mirae Asset Venture Investment, with BonAngels Venture Partners also participating.

Founded in July, Open Research is an AI startup with a vision to create “AI for Everyone.” The company was established by CEO Il-Doo Kim, who previously led Kakao Brain, an AI research and service subsidiary of Kakao. At Kakao Brain, Kim spearheaded the development and commercialization of various generative AI models, including the large-scale language model KoGPT, the character-specific image generation model Karlo, and the chest X-ray report generation model Kara. Unhyeok Baek, an AI language model expert who oversaw KoGPT’s development, has also joined Open Research. The team comprises top-tier AI professionals who have built foundational generative models from the ground up.

Open Research is focused on creating specialized AI search solutions for knowledge workers. Their goal is to enhance information retrieval efficiency by reducing repetitive search procedures like keyword modifications and comparisons across multiple web resources, which are common in traditional web searches. Unlike existing AI search engines that generate answers based on a limited selection of top-ranking web documents, Open Research differentiates itself with unique models and algorithms, aiming to deliver precise answers and reports in near real-time. The company plans to launch this innovative AI search service in a closed beta test (CBT) by the end of the year.

Ji-Hyung Park, Senior Associate at LB Investment, who led the funding round, stated, “Many market institutions view the search sector as one of the most impactful areas in the era of generative AI. We believe that Open Research’s team, with its outstanding modeling and engineering capabilities, is well-positioned to develop a ‘copilot for search’ that can make a significant impact in the global market.”

Il-Doo Kim, CEO of Open Research, added, “This investment gives us a strong foundation to accelerate the realization of Open Research’s technological vision. We are committed to advancing the commercialization of next-generation AI search services that enable anyone to receive expert-level answers instantly through AI technology.”