AI Business- Connecting Technology to the Market
August 26, 2025
At Upstage, we call our colleagues “Stars.” Today, more than 140 Stars are working together on a journey to build AI that changes the world.
Mini Starview is a special interview series where Stars from different roles share their work, experiences, and growth stories in their own words. If you're curious about how we work at Upstage, our culture, and the real growth journeys our Stars have experienced, we invite you to explore this Mini Starview.
We hope this content provides helpful insight for future Stars considering joining Upstage and serves as a meaningful guide as you shape your
career path.
In this Mini Starview, we introduce the AI Business division, which drives Upstage’s growth by covering the entire process—from exploring markets and identifying business opportunities to building global AI business models and executing targeted customer marketing. Today, we meet Soonil Kwon, the head of AI Business, who acts as the growth engine that brings Upstage’s outstanding technology to life in real markets and for real
customers.
Q. Hello! Could you briefly introduce yourself?
Soonil: Hello, I’m Soonil Kwon, and I oversee business strategy and development at Upstage.
Q. What are the main responsibilities or projects you handle in your current role?
Soonil: The business division is responsible for the company’s business strategy and development. We design business models and
continuously validate the underlying hypotheses in the market.
In the process, we identify and acquire target customers while managing business channels and partnerships.
Q. What has been the most challenging or rewarding moment in your work?
Soonil: In Korea, where subscription-based contracts are uncommon among insurance companies, we successfully persuaded
insurers to adopt a subscription model. As a result, all of the top 10 insurance companies in Korea are now using Upstage products
under subscription agreements. In the AI market, where technology evolves rapidly and product competitiveness constantly changes, there is still no established “golden rule” for business globally. Continuously exploring new business opportunities in such an
environment is challenging, but also deeply rewarding.
Q. What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from collaborating with colleagues in the same role?
Soonil: Although the AI business requires constant exploration and new challenges, the fundamental principles—such as delivering AI solutions effectively, understanding technology, and executing B2B sales—remain unchanged. However, since the AI ecosystem is still evolving and not yet fully established, even professionals with deep expertise need to keep learning to stay competitive. One of
Upstage’s strengths is that many people here have that mindset, and working alongside them naturally encourages you to maintain the same attitude toward learning and growth.
Q. How have you grown since joining Upstage?
Soonil: From the period after the third AI boom—when people were debating whether another “AI winter” would arrive—to the rapid
transformation following the emergence of ChatGPT, experiencing those shifts firsthand and learning from them has been one of my
most valuable assets. I also believe it has been meaningful to continuously improve areas such as organizational structure and ways of working—areas where even globally there is often no clear answer.
Q. What do you hope to achieve at Upstage in the future?
Soonil: Upstage is an organization where everyone works toward the shared value of “Making AI Beneficial.”
As the AI ecosystem begins to expand in earnest, I hope to continue creating real value and building businesses with people who
share that vision.
Q. How does your team collaborate and work with other teams?
Soonil: To develop a business successfully, it’s necessary to coordinate not only with external stakeholders such as customers and
the market, but also with internal teams responsible for execution, development, and research.
This requires continuous communication, as well as the ability to understand and respect each team’s roles and responsibilities.
Q. Was there anything that impressed you when you first joined Upstage?
Soonil: Before joining Upstage, I worked at Element AI, a Canadian AI company founded by Professor Yoshua Bengio.
At that time, AI had not yet gained the level of global attention it has today, and there was relatively less focus on commercialization.
As a result, the organization leaned heavily toward research. After the company’s exit, when I considered joining Upstage, I wondered whether it might also be overly research-oriented.
However, after meeting CEO Sung-Hoon Kim, I was impressed by his engineering mindset toward bringing technology into real-world
applications. Since joining, both the organization and I have been working continuously to turn that vision into reality.
Q. Do you have any practical advice for candidates interested in this role?
Soonil: AI is still an industry where many things—including business models—are not yet fully defined.
As a result, the environment involves constant change, uncertainty, and sometimes unavoidable stress, such as sunk costs when
testing hypotheses or the lack of reference cases. On the other hand, being able to gain and accumulate such experiences early in
one’s career can be a significant advantage. It’s worth considering whether you personally enjoy working in this kind of environment.
Q. Is there anything you’d like to say to candidates considering applying to Upstage?
Soonil: AI will be a core technology and industry that drives future societal change. Being able to work with people who are willing to
take on challenges together at such an early stage of the industry is, in many ways, a privilege. If your career goals and interests align with this field, Upstage could be an excellent place for you.
