Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
SMR sensor startup draws seed investments from FuturePlay
X-Sentry logo / Courtesy of X-Sentry
By Nam Hyun-woo
X-Sentry, a startup developing sensor solutions for small modular reactors (SMRs), has secured seed investments from a number of accelerators, including FuturePlay, the companies said Thursday.
X-Sentry is developing sensor solutions for the safety monitoring of next-generation SMRs. The company owns sensor technology that maintains high accuracy and durability in extreme environments, while its miniaturized design allows for minimal changes to reactor structures.
Along with FuturePlay, Seoul National University’s investment firm Seoul Techno Holdings and venture capital SOLiD X participated the early investing round. The raised amount was not disclosed.
With the latest investment, X-Sentry plans to accelerate the commercialization of its technology. The company will begin supplying products to domestic SMR research firms and institutions this year, as well as pursuing validation through leading overseas research organizations.
“X-Sentry will be the eyes and ears of next-generation SMRs, enabling a future where mankind can benefit from safe and clean nuclear energy,” X-Sentry said in a statement.
“The next-generation SMR market is an uncharted area, but could be a major opportunity for emerging sensor startups,” an official at FuturePlay said. “We expect X-Sentry to generate revenues and secure references, eventually growing into the standard company for sensors in next-generation SMRs.”