The digital transformation of Korea's manufacturing sector is a long-standing task. Each piece of equipment uses a different communication method, and data formats vary by device. There is a lot of tacit knowledge held by field technicians, making standardization difficult. To solve these problems, Comfort Lab developed a no-code (No-code, not requiring code writing) system that automates the consolidation process of data in industrial sites.
Chief Executive Kim Gi-jung, who worked for 15 years in development across hardware, operating systems (OS), and databases, founded the company in Nov. 2022. Kim said, "Manufacturers often have data but cannot make use of it. That's because there is a lack of a pipeline that runs through securing connectivity, standardization, visualization, and control."
Kim went on, "There was a problem in that developers had to build everything at the code level to turn it into data," and "The starting point was the awareness that we need to change the developer-dependent structure."
The company's flagship product, "PORTA," integrates factory equipment, sensors, and communication devices to digitize operational data. Field managers can build a manufacturing O&M (Operation & Maintenance) system without developer assistance. Viewing the factory as a single piece of hardware and installing an OS on top, it automatically handles consolidation and management of field data.
PORTA consolidates equipment through a visual interface without writing code. It cut the datafication process, which used to take several months, to within three days, and the implementation expense is in the tens of millions of won.
Kim said, "Each factory has different equipment and communication specifications, so it used to take a lot of expense and time," and "PORTA is designed to standardize this and respond automatically." Currently, 20 corporations, including three large corporations and 17 small and medium-sized corporations, use PORTA. Kim said, "About 90% of manufacturing corporations are small and medium-sized," and "The key is the digital transformation of small and mid-sized manufacturing."
The PORTA platform consists of three modules. "PortaCON" handles equipment consolidation and data collection, "Neurobase" handles data storage and processing, and "Studio" handles process monitoring screens and dashboard configuration. This structure drastically shortened the implementation period compared with before.
Kim explained, "You can use existing equipment as is without additional sensors," and "A structure that makes maintenance and expansion easy creates expense efficiency."
Comfort Lab raised a pre-Series A investment from Kakao Ventures in 2025. It also won Innovation Awards at CES, the world's largest IT exhibition, for two consecutive years.
For overseas expansion, Japan is the first target, with plans to expand to Vietnam and Malaysia afterward. The company is also pushing cooperation with a Japanese semiconductor parts company.
Kim said, "Manufacturing datafication is not a choice but a matter of survival," and "We will create an environment where anyone can consolidate a factory with a few clicks."