Age of AI Begins to Bloom
The author is an analyst of NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at jack.baek@nhqv.com. -- Ed.
Market interest has been growing in VAIV’s digital twin technology. Capable of digitally reproducing real-world objects, the firm’s digital twin platform should come to be more widely adopted via conversion with the Metaverse concept. Given that its platform has become the standard for LX and LH’s smart city projects, VAIV appears well situated to secure additional orders from the public sector going forward.
Boasts highest-level AI technologies in Korea; digital twin platform to provide new growth momentum
VAIV Company (VAIV)’s core business AI Solver, a problem-solving solution focused upon detection and discovery, should see a widening scope of applications going forward. Warranting particular attention is the firm’s AI-based digital twin technology, which creates a virtual representation of the physical world for simulation purposes. VAIV has provided its digital twin platform for the Sejong and Busan Smart City projects.
The main clients for VAIV’s digital twin platform business are Korea Land and Geospatial InformatiX Corp (LX) and Korea Land and Housing Corp (LH)—projects for both tend to be much bigger in size compared to those at other public institutions. VAIV has helped to build digitally twinned smart cities for LX and LH’s projects, and its technology platforms have now become the standards for LX and LH’s smart city projects. Given that their smart city projects are to pass the pilot stage and enter the main phase this year, related orders are likely to expand. Once the platform is established, VAIV is also able to generate additional sales by providing its services for platform operations.
In addition, digital twins could really be a foundational effort in the Metaverse concept. As a means to facilitate communications between real worlds and virtual worlds, the firm’s technologies can see wider utilization in the entertainment and game industries.
Age of AI begins to bloom; sales growth to take off
VAIV should see 2021 sales of W32.0bn (+48.0% y-y) and OP of W4.5bn (TTP y-y). While its sales are to enjoy strong expansion, OP growth is to remain limited, as with AI industry in an initial growth stage, application of AI technologies into different areas should be burdened with initial customization and platform standardization cost. That said, the fact that VAIV’s digital twin platform can generate service revenue even after the platform is established should be a key differentiating fact between the firm and other AI players.