BERTIS Inc. attracts investment from SK Telecom and SK Planet
“Aims to dominate the global market with unrivaled proteomics technology”

- Surging interest in “proteomics,” the next-generation medical technology of studying disease-causing proteins
- BERTIS Inc., known for the proteomics-based early-detection of breast cancer…

A 92% accuracy through the protein analysis using a 1-ml drop of blood, the world's first commercialization
- Synergy expected between AI-based big-data analysis technology and BERTIS Inc’ biotechnology 
- Support for overseas expansion, such as the establishment of an overseas BERTIS’ Corporation and laboratories and global IR activitie

As digital healthcare combined with new ICT is in the spotlight as a promising future industry, the SKT and SK ICT family expand their businesses by strengthening investment cooperation in the bio-healthcare field.

SK Telecom (CEO Park Jung-ho) and SK Planet (CEO Lee Han-sang) announced on June 3rd that they plan to actively support the growth and innovation of BERTIS Inc. (co-CEOs Noh Dong-young and Han Seung-man), which possess unrivaled technology for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. 

BERTIS Inc. aims to be listed on the KOSDAQ market by 2022, a company that develops next-generation medical technology based on proteomics that can early diagnose major diseases such as breast cancer through AI-based protein analysis with just a drop of blood. 

SKT will support BERTIS Inc. and laboratories establishment in the United States, Singapore, and more, also assist IR activities by utilizing the SK ICT family's AI and big-data technology and global network.

As a strategic investor, SK Planet invested $13.5M to BERTIS Inc., becoming its second-largest shareholder.

SK Planet takes the equity agreement with BERTIS Inc.. This Investment background is an opportunity for SK Planet to continue its innovation in the future bio-healthcare field and expand its big-data AI-based business field.

SK Planet has gone beyond simple investment plans to establish a cooperative platform with BERTIS Inc. ▲ Deep learning-based technology cooperation ▲ Joint research in big-data analysis for healthcare ▲ Expanded collaboration in healthcare solutions and medical data to become leaders in the next-generation biotech industry.

■ “Simple breast cancer screening with just a single drop of blood” ... Attention received for proteomics that identifies genetic mutations through protein analysis

In the past, a lot of attention to genomics, to find the root cause of many diseases. however, there has been a surge of interest in proteomics, which is the research of proteins directly involved in the onset and progression of diseases recently.

While genomics serves as basic data for disease research through DNA analysis, proteomics identified disease phenomena through proteins, the final product of gene translation. Performing difficult diagnoses through gene analysis is highly considered a next-generation medical technology. 

BERTIS Inc. is a company with unrivaled quantitative proteomics technology, having started research about 10 years ago when there was no interest in proteomics in Korea.

MASTOCHECK, a device developed by BERTIS Inc. for the early diagnosis of breast cancer, can simply and accurately diagnose breast cancer with just a single drop of blood. 

'MASTOCHECK' determines three protein biomarkers* closely related to breast cancer in the blood and then uses the values to determine whether breast cancer is present or not. The accuracy of early diagnosis reached 92 percent, the world's first commercialization. "MASTOCHECK" is a product approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and is currently using by 30 Korean medical examination institutions (Hanaro Medical Foundation, Hanshin Medipia, etc.
*Biomarker: A biochemical indicator that detects changes in the body by utilizing proteins, DNA, RNA, metabolites, etc., inside the body.

By collaborating with SKT and SK Planet, as well as the best medical experts in Korea, BERTIS Inc plans to expand its diagnostic services to other diseases such as including cardiovascular diseases, pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, depression, and more.

SKT has selected the bio-healthcare field as one of its new growth engines and has been conducting business through equity investments and partnerships with promising venture companies in the world. 

Through invites healthcare, a company established last March, has entered the digital healthcare business on belonging to it by providing a subscription-type gene analysis service.

“With our deep-learning-based on AI technology and BERTIS Inc.’ unrivaled proteomics technology, I expect that us working together will contribute to big improvements in the quality of human life,” said Lee Han-sang, CEO of SK Planet, adding “Above all, by diversifying our business portfolio from finance to bio-healthcare, with the implementation of our My Data business ahead, we will do our utmost to accelerate the growth of innovation.”

“Thanks to the increased interest in the diagnostics field since the advent of COVID-19, the value and status of proteomics companies have changed in the global market in just a year,” adding, “We plan to increase the pace of our entry into the global market through our cooperation with SKT and SK Planet.” said Han Seung-man, CEO of BERTIS Inc.