IFEZ Journal

Leading the Sports Tech Industry with AI Tennis Machines

Recently, as the sports industry has become more sophisticated, sports tech that incorporates cutting-edge technology is gainin g prominence. Curinginnos, a company comprised of tennis enthusiasts, is leading K-Sports Tech by developing AI tennis robots and related services. Curinginnos’ ultimate goal is to go beyond Korea to meet the needs of the world.

Korea’s First AI Tennis-Ball Pitching Machine

Sports tech combines cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (loT), big data, precision sensors, and the metaverse in the sports field. In advanced countries for sports, like the United States, Japan, and across Europe, sports tech is causing innovation in various sports-related areas. This trend has also been noticeable in Korea of late, as sports tech startups are emerging one after another, resulting in the rapid progression of investment attraction, research and development, and commercialization.

Curinginnos is a great example of such startups. In May 2019, CEO Kwon Ye-chan founded Curinginnos, a sports tech company that develops AI to make tennis more efficient and fun, serving as the focus of its products. CEO Kwon was introduced to tennis by chance while studying abroad in Thailand as a child. As a college student, he served as the tennis club’s manager and was a tennis specialist in the military. He decided to start a business to improve his limitations recognized during his years of playing tennis.

First of all, CEO Kwon noted tennis’ high barrier to entry. In other words, tennis is less accessible because of lesson costs, and it is difficult to practice without a partner. To solve these problems, he tried to apply the robot-related knowledge he acquired while majoring in mechatronics engineering in college to tennis. As a result, he designed an automatic tennis-ball pitching machine, but making this idea a reality took time and effort. As technological progress has been slow in the tennis industry since the 1980s, Kwon could rarely find precedents to benchmark. It was a complicated process of creating something from nothing, but CEO Kwon worked with like-minded employees to gradually overcome these problems. Eventually, they released iVOLVE, an AI tennis-ball pitching machine, to the market.

Curinginnos

Establishment May 2019

Business AI development and manufacturing

Products AI tennis-ball pitching machines and automated referee devices

Address Room B108, Insta 2, Incheon Startup Park, 204 Convensia-daero, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon

Towards a Global Sports Tech Company

Unlike existing machines that simply distribute balls, iVOLVE is equipped with artificial intelligence that pitches balls according to your level. You can set the speed of the ball, the location for where the ball should fall, the pitch type, such as flat, topspin, and slice, and even the amount of rotation. After the exercise, the machine collects and analyzes data to identify your characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. With this data, you can correct improper posture and even prevent injuries. iVOLVE is a tennis partner and coach that might even outperform its human counterparts.

Tennis enthusiasts and related industries showed an explosive response to the introduction of iVOLVE and its innovative performance. This product was recognized with a patent for its originality and innovation in that it allows tennis to be enjoyed alone and with no restrictions of time and space. Additionally, this product attracted the attention of experts and won an innovation award at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest high-tech exhibition. 

Based on these achievements, Curinginnos opened a 24-hour automated indoor tennis court equipped with iVOLVE. In addition, the company is providing users with more experience opportunities by launching Racket Time, an application that allows members to reserve tennis courts across the country using iVOLVE. Curinginnos will soon introduce a tennis-referee device and an AI coach machine.

Curinginnos is now trying to expand its sights beyond Korea to the world at large. Under the slogan “Connect One: You Are Always with Us,” the company plans to release a robot system that will allow tennis enthusiasts worldwide using iVOLVE to enjoy practicing together. With this system, Curinginnos plans to target overseas markets with giant tennis-loving populations. Watch Curinginnos’ progress beyond K-Sports Tech and toward becoming a global company.

MINI INTERVIEW

Kwon Ye-chan

CEO of Curinginnos

Nice to meet you. Can you please introduce Curinginnos?

Curinginnos is a sports tech startup established in 2019 to build an innovative sports ecosystem. As a child, I started learning tennis by chance while staying abroad. I enjoyed the sport and continued to play it as an adult. I then realized that there were some discouraging situations that came with enjoying tennis. I started my business to solve the problems of accessibility to tennis, which has a high barrier of entry and is challenging to enjoy alone. Residing at Incheon Startup Park, my 13 employees and I are developing Curinginnos’ original technologies and products, including the AI tennis-ball pitching machine.

How did consumers react when you first introduced the tennis-ball machine to the market?

The initial response upon launch was explosive, because it was a product that never existed before. It was attractive not only to tennis enthusiasts but also to AI-related industries. Of course, there were twists and turns that followed; after the launch, problems arose in unexpected areas, so we had to put great efforts into resolving these. Through this process, we looked deeper into our products, improving upon them and advancing their perfection.

Earlier this year, Curinginnos made a splash by winning an innovation award at CES, the world’s largest high-tech exhibition. What was the driving force behind your success so shortly after starting your business?

First of all, I have to recognize the employees who work with me. We have come this far by sharing the same goal, working hard, and encouraging each other. Support from related organizations was also of great help. We achieved this much with the support of IFEZ, Incheon Techno Park, and Incheon National University. In particular, the mentoring program was immense in developing the business capabilities that Curinginnos needed to possess. It allowed us to create the products we wanted and to achieve good results.

Can you tell us about what you are currently focusing on and your plans?

In addition to developing a tennis-ball pitching machine, we are also operating an automated indoor tennis court and reservation application using the product. We will soon introduce an in/out referee device that checks where the tennis ball lands on the line and an AI coach machine that corrects posture. We are also working on a service that allows you to communicate with people worldwide. Curinginnos will continue to develop valuable tennis-based services in order to grow into a global sports tech company.