Haejung Suk, CEO of VHEXLab
The Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator (GBSA) debuted as a standalone operator of the Gyeonggi-do Pavilion at CES 2025, held in Las Vegas. Partnering with Goyang, Gwangmyeong, Paju, Hwaseong, and six institutions, including Ajou University and Kyung Hee University, GBSA showcased 17 promising startups at the Venetian Expo’s Eureka Park.
To ensure the success of participating companies in global markets, GBSA provided pre-event education, IR pitching mentorships, on-site IR programs, and essential support, such as booth rentals, translation services, and logistics.
VHEXLab Earns Digital Health Innovation Award for ‘SITh’ at CES 2025
Ajou University’s venture arm startup, VHEXLab (CEO Haejung Suk), participated in the GBSA Pavilion and secured a CES 2025 Innovation Award in the Digital Health category.
Founded by Professor Haejung Suk of Ajou University’s Department of Digital Media and five of her students, VHEXLab integrates psychology and digital media into innovative solutions. The company recently received a 300-million-won seed investment through the Korea Technology Finance Corporation, highlighting its potential.
The award-winning product Self-Insight Therapy (SITh) offers psychological counseling services using XR (Extended Reality), AI (Artificial Intelligence), and VH (Virtual Humans). This cutting-edge solution immerses users in realistic environments where their behaviors and emotions are tracked, providing a unique method for psychological diagnosis and therapy.
Users can access a service comparable to meeting a professional therapist without direct face-to-face interaction, making the experience convenient and effective.
In addition to SITh, VHEXLab has developed Empathy VR, a service designed to assess empathy levels and expressions in adolescents using virtual reality content. These products represent VHEXLab’s commitment to applying advanced psychological assessment and counseling technologies.
SITh and Empathy VR are being piloted in the Suwon Shared School program, jointly managed by the Suwon Education Office and Ajou University’s LINC 3.0 initiative. These programs aim to enhance character education for elementary and middle school students while helping local youth counseling centers assess and foster positive future thinking among adolescents.
Haejung Suk, CEO and professor, commented, “The collaboration between Ajou University’s Digital Media and Psychology departments, combined with expert support programs, has led to significant achievements. We aim to leverage cutting-edge technologies to expand the reach and impact of psychological diagnosis and counseling.”
VHEXLab’s innovative solutions demonstrate how technology can transform mental health services, making them more accessible and impactful across diverse communities.
