While South Korea has excelled in the memory chip business, the country’s system-on-chip makers have yet to establish a strong global presence. But, a former executive of Samsung Semiconductors wants to change that.

BOS Semiconductors, founded in 2022 by Jaehong Park, is very confident it can bridge the gap between South Korea’s semiconductor and automotive industries because it has built a system-on-chip (SoC) that supports autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS).

Despite the lengthy development process, which typically takes more than five years, Park believes that BOS Semiconductors is well-positioned to succeed, thanks to its team of engineers, most of which worked at Samsung.

“We have a solid track record of developing successful semiconductors and our goal is to become a fabless company like Qualcomm or MediaTek,” said Park.

BOS Semiconductors operates under a dual business model, investing in the development of its own automotive SoCs, while offering semiconductor design services to generate revenue and sustain operations.

This approach allows the startup to reuse its infrastructure for customer-specific projects, ensuring consistent cash flow as it works towards bringing its products to market.

To support its ambitious plans, BOS Semiconductors has set up R&D centers in South Korea and Vietnam, along with a sales office in Germany to engage with global automotive clients. It also seeks new investors through a Series A funding round to accelerate product development and scale internationally.

“Our goal is to establish a global presence and become a key player in the automotive semiconductor industry,” Park stated.