KT, a South Korean telecommunications giant, said it will invest $2 million (2.7 billion won) in Sonde Health, a U.S. voice biomarker development company, and start business cooperation.
Under the agreement, KT plans to use Sonde Health's technology to upgrade its AI voice-based businesses such as call centers and AI speakers. KT has steadily secured voice-based technologies such as AI solutions for diagnosing dysphagia, a disorder where patients have difficult in swallowing.
Additionally, KT plans to apply voice biomarker technology to telemedicine services being promoted in Vietnam, said a company official.
KT’s partner, Sonde Health, specializes in technology that predicts various diseases like mental health and respiratory disorders by using voice biomarkers. Voice biomarkers are indicators that can monitor body conditions and predict diseases by analyzing subtle changes such as the strength of voice, height, and vocal cord movements.
In the same way that sore throats result in voice changes, a wider range of voice biomarkers will also be applied to diagnose other diseases.
Sonde Health is the world's largest company with health data using voice changes, which is the core of voice biomarker development and possess global networks with Qualcomm and GN Group.
According to Coherent Market Insights, the global market size of voice biomarkers is expected to reach about 600 trillion won in 2027 with an average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.5 percent. Voice biomarkers are in the spotlight as an auxiliary means of patient monitoring as the infrastructure for using voice technologies such as smartphones has expanded and non-face-to-face treatment has increased with Covid-19.
Sonde Health is the second overseas strategic investment company in KT's digital healthcare sector, following investment in NeuroSigma, a U.S. electronic drug development company, by KT earlier this year.
"KT is pursuing various businesses based on voice, so we expect that there will be great potential for connection with voice biomarker technology," Vice President of KT's AI/DX Convergence Business Division Song Jae-ho said. " Based on Sonde Health's excellent technology competitiveness, we will promote synergy with KT's domestic and overseas businesses."
Sonde Health CEO David Liu also expressed his delight to introduce Sonde's voice biomarker technology with Korea's leading digital platform company. KT.