South Korean AI health startup PurpleAI has been selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ Deep Tech TIPS (Tech Incubator Program for Startups) program, unlocking ₩1.5 billion KRW (approximately $1.15 million USD) in government-backed R&D support. The startup is now positioned to expand its end-to-end stroke diagnosis AI platform across hospitals and global markets.
The Deep Tech TIPS program is an advanced version of the Korean government’s flagship startup incubation initiative, designed to accelerate startups developing breakthrough technologies in critical sectors.
Backed by private VC recommendation and government evaluation, PurpleAI will receive up to ₩1.5 billion KRW (~$1.15 million USD) in R&D funding support—three times the scale of regular TIPS grants.
The Deep Tech TIPS program is co-managed by Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) and private venture capital firms, with PurpleAI nominated and funded by Big Basin Capital.
A Clinical AI Startup Rooted in Collaboration
Founded by experts from SK AX (formerly SK C&C), Seoul National University Hospital, and Ajou University Hospital, PurpleAI emerged from a multi-year R&D collaboration focused on neurovascular disease diagnostics.
In 2023, it was officially spun off from SK AX to operate as an independent medical AI company.
The company’s flagship product, Medical Insight Plus: Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH), is a software-based medical device (SaMD) that analyzes brain CT scans in seconds to assist with hemorrhagic stroke diagnosis.
Additionally, PurpleAI has also received:
- Class III medical device approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS),
- Designation as an Innovative Health Technology by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and
- Regulatory clearance from the U.S. FDA.
As of July 2025, PurpleAI’s solutions are already deployed across 40 general hospitals in South Korea, where they have demonstrated clinical validity and diagnostic efficiency.
Expanding to End-to-End Stroke Workflow AI
With the new R&D support from Deep Tech TIPS, PurpleAI plans to expand beyond single-function tools to build a comprehensive, end-to-end stroke diagnosis platform powered by imaging and multimodal AI.
This expansion will further integrate hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, and aneurysm detection capabilities within one streamlined workflow.
According to Big Basin Capital CEO Yoon Pil Goo, PurpleAI’s stroke AI solutions have shown best-in-class performance compared to global peers and are gaining traction in clinical commercialization, including favorable insurance reimbursement.
“PurpleAI’s stroke-focused AI solutions demonstrate world-class performance compared to other medical devices in the same category.
From a commercialization perspective, meaningful progress has also been made, such as insurance reimbursement.”
Yoon Pil Goo, CEO of Big Basin Capital.
PurpleAI CEO Park Byung Joon stated that the company’s selection for Deep Tech TIPS validates its technological strength, domain expertise, and market growth potential.
“Being selected for Deep Tech TIPS validates the strength of our technology, domain expertise in healthcare, and market scalability.
We will now focus on completing our comprehensive AI platform for stroke and achieving global traction.”
Park Byung Jun, CEO of PurpleAI.
Strategic Momentum for Korea’s Medical AI Sector
PurpleAI’s Deep Tech TIPS selection signals increasing government and investor confidence in Korea’s emerging medical AI sector—particularly startups developing exportable, software-defined diagnostics.
As demand for scalable neuroimaging solutions continues to grow worldwide, startups like PurpleAI are poised to contribute meaningfully to the digital transformation of healthcare, both domestically and internationally.
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