[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyung-il ] On the 14th, it was announced that SelectStar, an investment firm, is seeking a KOSDAQ listing, as SBI Investment ( SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd.(019550)) has made a preemptive investment in anticipation of growth potential in the artificial intelligence (AI) reliability verification market. As competition in AI development expands beyond improving model performance to verifying reliability and security, attention is also turning to the performance of related investments.

The AI industry has thus far grown primarily around technologies for developing more powerful AI, such as large language models (LLMs) and semiconductors. However, as companies begin to implement AI in actual services, security issues—such as “hallucination,” where AI provides incorrect information as fact, and the leakage of internal corporate data—are emerging as major challenges. Consequently, the process of verifying whether AI models operate stably in real-world environments has become just as important as improving their performance.

The company that caught SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd.’s attention is SelectStar, which started as a provider of AI training data and has expanded its business into the field of verifying model performance and reliability. SelectStar has an automated verification system that precisely measures whether AI models comply with pre-set ethical and security guidelines.

SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd. participated in SelectStar’s Series B funding round last year. The firm explained that while the barriers to entry for AI development have lowered due to the emergence of low-cost models and the proliferation of open-source software, infrastructure for reliability verification will become an essential requirement during the actual commercialization phase. SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd. cited SelectStar’s business capabilities—which span from AI training data construction to reliability verification—as a key factor in its investment decision.

SelectStar filed for a preliminary review for a KOSDAQ listing on the 22nd of last month. As the listing process moves forward, SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd.’s proactive investment in the AI reliability verification sector is also drawing attention.

An SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd. official stated, “Many companies have entered the verification stage where they must decide which AI model, from the countless options available, to confidently implement in their operations,” adding, “As the barrier to AI development lowers, the value of reliability verification—which determines a company’s decision to adopt AI—becomes even greater.”

The spokesperson continued, “SelectStar’s application for a preliminary review of its KOSDAQ listing demonstrates that our investment strategy—which has focused on the industrial application and commercialization potential of AI—is yielding results,” adding, “We will continue to identify and nurture next-generation tech companies capable of solving challenges in the AI commercialization process.”