From Alibaba Experience to an AI Startup: Why He Built a Data Company | KBS Moneyolla Beyond Biz (Part 2)
SKAI Intelligence CEO Jaecheol Lee Appears on KBS' Moneyolla Beyond Biz: Sharing the Value of Data Discovered Through Global Experience and SKAI Intelligence's Vision for Growth
SKAI Intelligence CEO Jaecheol Lee appeared in Part 2 of KBS's business program Moneyolla Beyond Biz, where he shared how his experience at global companies led him to build a data-centric AI company, as well as the insights he has gained as an entrepreneur.
Lee explained that his career at LG Household & Health Care, Alibaba Group's Tmall Business Unit, and Fosun Group gave him firsthand experience in business strategy and digital transformation (DX), ultimately reinforcing the importance of data. Through these experiences, he came to view data not merely as operational records, but as a strategic asset that determines a company's competitiveness.
He noted that even the most advanced AI models cannot deliver meaningful business outcomes if enterprise data is not properly connected, structured, and made understandable for AI. This realization became the driving force behind the founding of SKAI Intelligence, a deep-tech AI company built around data.
The interview also explored Lee's journey from a non-technical background to leading a technology company, along with the practical challenges he faced during the early stages of entrepreneurship. He emphasized that understanding customers' real-world problems and transforming technology into practical industrial value is ultimately more important than the technology itself.
Lee also discussed the leadership qualities required to build a sustainable company, emphasizing the importance of connecting technology, markets, and people. He stressed that long-term growth requires both a clear vision and strong execution, while also sharing the books and entrepreneurial philosophy that have influenced his management approach.
SKAI Intelligence is building a next-generation data infrastructure that goes beyond collecting and storing data by structuring information so AI can understand it and generating synthetic data where real-world data is difficult to obtain, enabling Physical AI applications.
Leveraging its expertise in Digital Twin and Synthetic Data technologies, the company continues to expand its business as a key data infrastructure provider for the Physical AI era.
CEO Jaecheol Lee's entrepreneurial journey and SKAI Intelligence's vision for the future of the data industry can be viewed in Part 2 of his interview on KBS Moneyolla Beyond Biz.
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Jaecheol Lee, CEO of SKAI Intelligence | KBS Moneyolla Beyond Biz (Part 2)