Studio Kiko
Category: AI in Healthcare
South Korean clinical AI startup developing Neardoc, an ambient AI scribe that automatically generates SOAP medical charts from doctor-patient conversations in real time. Studio Kiko was founded in 2023. The company is led by Kim Se-hoon (김세훈). Based in Seoul, South Korea. Team size: 1-10. Latest round: Pre-Seed. Key investors include Smilegate Investment, Korea Investment Accelerator, Strong Ventures, X-Squared.
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- Seoul, South Korea
- Team size
- 1-10
Value proposition
Reduces charting time by 70%, enables doctors to focus on patients instead of paperwork, achieves under 2% clinician editing rate, works with all desktop EMR systems, and automatically maps 40,000+ KCD diagnosis codes for insurance claims.
Products and solutions
Neardoc (니어닥) — ambient AI scribe that listens to doctor-patient conversations, automatically generates SOAP charts, and inputs them directly into EMR systems, Xynar (자이나) — proprietary medical AI engine with multi-layer RAG and Generate-to-Validate 4-stage verification
Unique value
Asia's first fully commercialized ambient AI scribe with a proprietary medical AI engine (Xynar) that eliminates hallucination through multi-layer RAG and 4-stage clinical validation, achieving under 2% clinician editing rate.
Target customer
Hospitals and clinics in South Korea, from small private practices to large university hospitals
Industries served
Healthcare / Medical AI — clinical documentation, ambient AI scribe, EMR integration, medical insurance claims coding
Technology advantage
Proprietary Xynar medical AI engine with multi-layer RAG and Generate-to-Validate 4-stage verification; zero-retention audio processing (audio deleted immediately after transcription); 360-degree microphone for exam room coverage; supports 20+ clinical specialties; individual charting style personalization.
How they differentiate
Unlike general-purpose LLM-based dictation tools, Studio Kiko built Xynar — a proprietary medical AI engine with multi-layer RAG and Generate-to-Validate 4-stage verification that eliminates hallucination. The system learns each doctor's personal charting style, supports 20+ medical specialties with 17,000+ medical terms, maps 40,000+ KCD codes automatically, and works with all desktop EMR systems without replacement.
Main competitors
Abridge (US), Nabla (France), Nuance DAX (Microsoft)
Key partnerships
Compatible with major Korean EMR systems including Bit (비트), EZ (이지스), ChartOne (차트원), and Jeonjachart (전자차트)
Notable customers
300+ hospitals and clinics in South Korea (within 2 months of launch, via word-of-mouth)
Major milestones
Founded February 2023, Launched Pinderland (shared map app) in April 2024, Seed round from Strong Ventures and X-Squared in August 2024, Pivoted to healthcare AI and launched Neardoc in 2026, Reached 300+ hospitals within 2 months of launch without advertising, Pre-Series A from Smilegate Investment, Korea Investment Accelerator, and Strong Ventures in July 2026
Growth metrics
300+ hospitals in 2 months; 70% charting time reduction; 1.5x increase in patients seen per shift; under 2% clinician editing rate; NPS +28pp improvement
Market positioning
First-mover in the Korean ambient AI scribe market, positioning itself as Asia's first globally competitive ambient AI scribe. Competes with global leaders Abridge ($5.5B valuation) and Nabla ($3.6B valuation) in a market projected to grow from $6B (2025) to $30B (2033).
Geographic focus
South Korea (current); non-English-speaking Asian markets targeted for 2027 expansion
Patents and IP
Proprietary Xynar medical AI engine with multi-layer RAG and Generate-to-Validate 4-stage verification technology
About Kim Se-hoon (김세훈)
Co-founder of Wanted Lab (HR tech platform); oversaw platform design, new business, IPO, and global expansion at Wanted Lab from 2015 to 2022.
Latest news about Studio Kiko
More AI in Healthcare companies
Official website: https://neardoc.ai