WAI
WAI Korea is a privately-held South Korean AI software company that develops AutoML (Whiz Apollon), reinforcement-learning optimization (Quant Athena), and agentic AI compliance (Apollon Aegis) platforms, primarily serving Korean banks and financial institutions through project-based consulting and software licensing.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What WAI does
WAI (WAI Korea, 주식회사 더블유에이아이) is a privately-held South Korean AI software and analytics firm headquartered at Hanyang University ERICA campus in Ansan, Gyeonggi-do, founded around 2020-2021. The company develops and commercializes three proprietary AI products: Whiz Apollon, an AutoML-based ML Ops platform that automates prediction, classification, anomaly detection, and full model lifecycle management including performance monitoring, retraining, and version control; Quant Athena, a reinforcement-learning-based optimization and rebalancing solution that incorporates sensitivity analysis and scenario simulation; and Apollon Aegis, an agentic AI compliance platform supporting AML, fraud detection (FDS), continuous monitoring, and accountability management. A patent application has been filed for a related 'Variable Selection Device and Method.' The technical stack is described as full-stack, covering infrastructure, database, server, web, and application layers.
The commercial model blends project-based data analysis services (selling analyst capacity and consulting) with subscription or licensing of the proprietary AI software suite. The go-to-market is exclusively direct enterprise sales within South Korea, targeting banks, securities firms, and financial services companies that require automated ML model development, regulatory compliance workflows, and optimization tooling. Named enterprise customers include Shinhan Bank, Daegu Bank, Woori Bank, Nice Evaluation Information, and Samsung Securities; reference logos also include Samjung KPMG and SAS Korea based on founding team experience.
The leadership team is the primary stated source of differentiation. CEO Lee Jin-haeng brings approximately 18 years of analytics and consulting experience from SAS Korea, Samsung Securities, and Samjung KPMG; CDO Kim Hyo-seong holds a PhD in Statistics and oversees model design and verification; CSO Jung Hyun-mok brings strategy and consulting experience from Samsung SDS and Samsung Securities. WAI has built operational credentials in the Korean public-sector AI ecosystem, including selection as a 2022 Excellent Venture Company of Korea, participation in Seoul Fintech Lab (2023) and Shinhan Futures Lab Batch 9 (April 2023), selection as a Promising Leading Company in Seoul's Four Future Growth Industries (July 2023), and an AI Business MOU with Gwangju Metropolitan City as one of eight AI firms in November 2024.
WAI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WAI
- Legal name
- 주식회사 더블유에이아이
- Website
- https://waikorea.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- WAI Korea is a privately-held South Korean AI software company that develops AutoML (Whiz Apollon), reinforcement-learning optimization (Quant Athena), and agentic AI compliance (Apollon Aegis) platforms, primarily serving Korean banks and financial institutions through project-based consulting and software licensing.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WAI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Data Analytics Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management) (HDAEANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG), AI Observability, Monitoring & Evaluation Platforms (Drift, Quality, Safety) (HDAEANAF), AI/ML Engineering & Model Development Services (BPAEAHAF)
Keywords
Where WAI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
WAI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Project-Based Analysis Services: Data analysis consulting and project execution for enterprise clients, including analysis consulting, data processing, and AI model development automation services. For large enterprises, they perform analysis tasks following project specifications; for SMEs, they offer initial feasibility analysis before deeper engagement.
- AI Software Solutions: Subscription or licensing of proprietary AI solutions including Apollon (AutoML), Athena (Optimization), and Aegis (Compliance), deployed for automated data analysis and AI model operations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
WAI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WAI develops and sells proprietary AI software products for automated data analysis and AI model operations, including Whiz Apollon (AutoML-based prediction, classification, and anomaly detection with ML Ops), Quant Athena (Reinforcement Learning-based optimization and rebalancing), and Apollon Aegis (Agentic AI-driven compliance platform for AML, fraud detection, and continuous monitoring). The company complements this software with project-based data analysis consulting and AI model development services for enterprise clients in the Korean financial sector.
Product overview
WAI offers a three-product AI platform portfolio: Whiz Apollon (AutoML-based ML Ops solution for prediction, classification, and anomaly detection), Quant Athena (Reinforcement Learning-based optimization and rebalancing solution), and Apollon Aegis (Agentic AI-powered intelligent compliance platform for AML and fraud detection). The products are designed to work together — Apollon handles data analysis and model development automation, while Athena and Aegis extend into optimization and compliance use cases respectively.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Whiz Apollon: Prediction and Classification solution based on ML Ops. AutoML-based platform that performs prediction, classification, and anomaly detection tasks, rapidly deriving optimal algorithms suited to data characteristics and establishing a stable ML Ops system including performance monitoring, retraining, and version management.
- Quant Athena
- Apollon Aegis
Products and services
- Whiz Apollon Whiz Apollon is WAI's AutoML-based prediction and classification solution that rapidly derives optimal algorithms suited to data characteristics and standardizes the entire ML model lifecycle — including training, deployment, performance monitoring, retraining, and version management — for enterprise clients needing automated, stable ML Ops, especially in financial services.
- Quant Athena Quant Athena is WAI's Reinforcement Learning-based optimization and rebalancing solution for enterprise clients. It builds optimal decision-making models that reflect various constraints and operational scenarios, delivering realistic, actionable optimization recommendations with sensitivity analysis and simulation to enable risk pre-review and flexible adaptation to changing operational environments.
- Apollon Aegis Apollon Aegis is WAI's Agentic AI-driven compliance platform for enterprise (primarily financial services) clients. It supports AML, fraudulent transaction detection (FDS), continuous monitoring, and accountability management, integrating internal and external data to automate anomaly detection, regulatory impact analysis, risk prediction, and the development of response strategies.
- Project-Based Data Analysis and AI Consulting Services WAI delivers project-based data analysis consulting and execution services for enterprise clients in Korea. Engagements include data processing, AI model development automation, and analysis consulting — for large enterprises carried out to project specifications and for SMEs begun with an initial feasibility analysis before deeper project work.
Quantifiable outcome
- Significantly reduced data analysis time compared to traditional methods
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use WAI
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
WAI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature4 records
WAI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Gwangju Metropolitan City (광주광역시)coreWAI signed an AI business MOU with Gwangju Metropolitan City along with 7 other AI promising companies. Gwangju has attracted 250+ AI companies as an 'AI innovation hub'. WAI plans to contribute to the AI ecosystem development through technology development, commercialization, and professional workforce training while developing global markets with solutions like 'Apollon' for data processing and AI model automation.
- Shinhan Futures Lab (신한퓨처스랩)coreWAI was selected for Shinhan Futures Lab Batch 9 accelerator program. Shinhan Futures Lab is a fintech accelerator under Shinhan Financial Group that supports promising startups in their growth journey with mentorship, funding opportunities, and industry connections.
- Seoul Fintech Lab (서울 핀테크 랩)coreWAI participated in Seoul Fintech Lab, located in Yeouido (the financial center of Korea). The lab provides a startup ecosystem where companies can experience technology trends and direction in the field. It offers various programs including investor seminars, consulting on company operations, and networking opportunities.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WAI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dataiku: Enterprise AI/ML platform offering AutoML, MLOps, and analytics for financial-services use cases — overlapping with WAI's predictive and compliance workflows.
- SAS: Global analytics and AI platform vendor with deep penetration in financial services — directly comparable because WAI's CEO and several team members came from SAS Korea and SAS is the most direct incumbent in enterprise analytics and AML.
- H2O.ai: Open-core AutoML and MLOps vendor with strong regulated-industry adoption. Directly comparable to Apollon's automated model training, retraining, and governance capabilities.
- NICE Actimize: Leading AML, fraud, and financial-crime compliance platform. Direct incumbent competing against Apollon Aegis for AML/FDS and continuous-monitoring budgets at Korean and global banks.
- DataRobot: Enterprise AutoML and MLOps platform serving banks and financial institutions. Competes head-to-head with Whiz Apollon in automated model development, monitoring, and deployment.
Emerging players
- Selvas AI: Korean AI company with vertical AI products including analytics and document AI. Comparable as another Korean-headquartered AI specialist competing for the same enterprise AI budgets and accelerator recognition.
Broad incumbents
- Databricks: Unified data and AI platform widely adopted in regulated industries. Provides AutoML-style model development and deployment that overlaps with WAI's MLOps and analytics consulting value proposition.
- Google Cloud Vertex AI: Hyperscaler AutoML/MLOps offering bundled with cloud consumption. Korean financial customers migrating to GCP can collapse WAI's standalone AutoML into Vertex AI, making Google a structural competitive incumbent.
- FICO: Predictive analytics and financial-crime platform widely used in banking. Overlaps with WAI's analytics and fraud/AML offerings for financial-services customers.
- Amazon SageMaker: AWS AutoML/MLOps platform with broad Korean enterprise adoption. Competes for the same AutoML/MLOps budget WAI targets, particularly as banks pursue cloud-first AI strategies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WAI social profiles
Digital presenceWAI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WAI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
WAI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WAI M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WAI
What does WAI do?
WAI develops and sells proprietary AI software products for automated data analysis and AI model operations, including Whiz Apollon (AutoML-based prediction, classification, and anomaly detection with ML Ops), Quant Athena (Reinforcement Learning-based optimization and rebalancing), and Apollon Aegis (Agentic AI-driven compliance platform for AML, fraud detection, and continuous monitoring). The company complements this software with project-based data analysis consulting and AI model development services for enterprise clients in the Korean financial sector.
Is WAI a public or private company?
WAI is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was WAI founded?
WAI was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is WAI based?
WAI is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does WAI make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Project-Based Analysis Services are the primary driver. The others are AI Software Solutions.
Who are WAI's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dataiku, SAS, H2O.ai, NICE Actimize and DataRobot. Selvas AI is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Databricks, Google Cloud Vertex AI, FICO and Amazon SageMaker.
Does WAI have an API?
No public API is recorded for WAI.
What industry is WAI in?
WAI's product category is AI Data Analytics Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEANAA, End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management), with a secondary code of HDAEANAG, Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII). Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.