[Edaily Reporter KIM JI-WAN ] VC Inc.(365900)announced on the 31st that it will begin a full-scale push into the U.S. and Japanese markets based on its APL (Auto Pin Location) technology, which has been verified in the domestic market. The company’s strategy is to expand the exclusive position it has secured in the domestic golf course market overseas to secure new growth engines.

As of the first half of this year, VC Inc. is the exclusive supplier and operator of APL solutions at 331 golf courses in Korea. The company is strengthening its market dominance, as APL solutions are being adopted at virtually all courses among those that have recently opened.

APL is a high-precision distance-measuring solution that uses GPS devices to determine the exact, real-time location of the pin on the green and relays this information to golfers. VC Inc. provides a differentiated user experience by integrating its proprietary APL technology with key products such as golf watches. Driven by this, domestic golf watch sales in the first half of this year increased by 27% compared to the same period last year.

VC Inc. is expanding its APL business model—which has been proven in the domestic market—to the United States and Japan. In the U.S., the company has completed a proof of concept (PoC) at major golf courses near Los Angeles (LA) and is preparing to launch the service. Going forward, it plans to expand its presence in the B2B market through partnerships with large local golf course management companies.

According to the National Golf Foundation, there are approximately 16,000 golf courses in operation in the U.S., representing a market roughly 30 times larger than South Korea’s. In particular, growth continues as 147 new courses are developed annually and 3 million golfers continue to enter the market.

The company is also on the verge of achieving tangible results in Japan.

VC Inc. has signed a contract with “Technocraft,” the leading local provider in Japan that supplies control systems to over 1,200 of the country’s approximately 2,200 golf courses, to integrate real-time pin position data. Once the contract is finalized, VC Inc. will be able to integrate the real-time GPS pin position data from Japanese golf courses—secured by Technocraft—into its golf watches and services. The two companies are currently engaged in working-level discussions to integrate their systems and enhance their services, with the goal of officially launching the service in September.

VC Inc. also plans to ramp up local marketing efforts using its new “Play Together” service in conjunction with the launch. The company aims to expand its presence in the Japanese golf watch market by securing a competitive edge through services linked to local golf course infrastructure, moving beyond the sale of traditional rangefinders.

The company’s overseas ODM business is also supporting this growth.

Building on the technological expertise accumulated in the fields of golf rangefinders and personal launch monitors, VC Inc. is expanding its overseas ODM orders and proactively securing supply volumes for 2026 and 2027.

A VC Inc. official stated, “APL is VC Inc.’s core competitive advantage, having already been validated for its technological capabilities and business viability at domestic golf courses,” adding, “We plan to fully expand our overseas business by entering the large-scale B2B market in the U.S. and integrating data with the leading local course management company in Japan.” The representative continued, “We expect the proportion of overseas revenue to grow rapidly starting this year,” and added, “Based on our unrivaled golf tech capabilities, including APL, we will leap forward to become a global company, overcoming the slowdown in the domestic golf market.”



VC Inc. official stated, “Based on the expansion of ODM sales in the U.S. and the stable growth of our domestic business, we expect the trend of improved performance seen in the second quarter to continue into the second half of the year,” adding, “This makes it highly likely that we will achieve an annual profit by 2026.” The official continued, “In 2027, we expect to enter a higher stage of growth, driven by the launch of our golf smart glasses—scheduled for late 2026—the full-scale results of our U.S. APL business, and the expansion of ODM sales.”