“An invention-track admittee went on to build a robot company the world is watching.”

Sunghae Hwang (Class of '01, Dept of Computer Software Engineering), CEO of XYZ, alumnus

December 03, 2025, “Getting into Kwangwoon University was the start of my success in life.” That’s what Sungjae Hwang (Class of ’01, Department of Computer Software Engineering), CEO of XYZ and a leader in the service-robot industry, says. He entered the university in 2001 through a special admissions track for student inventors, and struggled because he lacked a strong foundation in mathematics. 

Today, however, he is building what he calls “technology you can’t go back from.” At the robot café on the first floor run by his company, a cup of coffee is made every 30 seconds. Tourists from around the world stop by just to catch a glimpse of the robot barista. 

Failure is a Stopover on the Road to Success 

“Working hard doesn’t automatically guarantee success—but if you look at the people who have succeeded, it’s hard to find anyone who got there without effort.” He has his own perspective on success. If you look closely at the startup “J-curve” of rapid growth—as if under a microscope—it’s anything but smooth; it rises and falls constantly. Success and failure come one after another, but what matters, he says, is that they must be “a better failure than yesterday, and a better success than yesterday.”

“Studying hard and getting into university was a success, and getting into KAIST was a success too. Choosing to start a business was also a success. On the other hand, I’ve had countless failures while running a business. Come to think of it, drinking cold coffee this morning was a failure too. (laughs)” For him, success and failure have always gone hand in hand. What matters is whether those experiences have brought him—even just a little—closer than yesterday to the destination he truly wants. 

In the Age of AI, Attitude is a Competitive Edge

“Human talent in certain areas may not be better than artificial intelligence.” For this reason, he stresses that in the age of AI, attitude matters more than technology or knowledge. The way we approach life is a uniquely human domain—something AI cannot possess—and when it accumulates over time, it becomes a formidable strength. He adds that this is also something he learned at Kwangwoon University.

Alumnus Sungjae Hwang also emphasizes that diligence is essential in engineering education. “Engineering is a discipline that’s built up step by step. You need to be able to add before you can multiply, and there’s a sequential nature to moving on to the next stage. Kwangwoon students may not be number one in the nation, but they absolutely have the ability to love engineering and steadily build their knowledge with sincere, consistent effort.”

Robots: Not an Invention Born of Necessity, but a Future Essential

“Right now, we don’t need robots. Life isn’t inconvenient without them. But in ten years, a world will come where it will be inconvenient without robots.” He argues that the saying “necessity is the mother of invention” is no longer fully valid. Back when people ordered jajangmyeon by phone, no one felt inconvenienced. But after delivery apps appeared, placing an order by phone became inconvenient. The same goes for calling a taxi. “Great technology and invention start by imagining what isn’t visible yet—and once it becomes reality, creating something that makes it impossible to go back to the past.”

That is exactly the kind of technology XYZ aims to build. XYZ’s service robots will brew coffee in cafés, deliver parcels within buildings, and handle household chores in every home. To make this possible, XYZ is developing a “robot foundation model”—an AI that understands movement in the physical world. Hwang says he wants to create technology that everyone can use. 

“Good technology is technology that sells well. Something complex and difficult isn’t automatically valuable. Customers decide what counts as good technology and a good product—and if it sells well, that means the customer has decided.”  Building “technology you can’t go back from,” and selling it well—this steady, engineering-minded persistence is fully embodied in the robots XYZ is creating. 

Experience and Balance: Preparing for the Long Game

Having spent the past 15 years running full-speed as a founder, he emphasizes the importance of balance. Hwang says he has a woodworking shop in Yangpyeong, tends a small vegetable garden, and enjoys running along with a variety of hobbies.

“Being the CEO of a company is a lonely position. I have so many peers around me who see psychiatrists or struggle with insomnia. I want to do the work I truly care about for the long term, so when I work, I work hard—and when I rest, I try to rest just as hard.” Introducing himself as an early adopter, he also shared that he holds the record for the highest number of projects backed in Asia on Kickstarter. By experiencing new products, he finds inspiration for emerging technologies.

“I spend a lot of money on experiences. More than an expensive car or house, what matters to me is what kind of experiences I can have. One area where we have unique value among robot companies is robot experience—HRI (Human–Robot Interaction). Figuring out how these new devices can enhance user experience is going to be a crucial task for robot companies going forward.”

The Real Goal: Changing Lives Through Technology

“Technology is a tool. I want to contribute to our lives through technology. Securing investment to run a company is important, too. Money is fuel for founders. Without that fuel, you can’t develop a vision, and you can’t keep inventing. It’s essential—but you can’t chase money alone. I see money as one tool for achieving a dream.” His ultimate goal is for the products and services he creates to have a positive impact on our lives—making them calmer and more convenient—and to become something that, once experienced, we can never truly go back from.

There’s a simple reason he grows a garden at his woodworking shop in Yangpyeong, runs at dawn, and has achieved top-tier Kickstarter backing: he wants to keep doing what he loves for a long time. And at the end of that path lies a world we may not yet imagine—but once we experience it, we won’t be able to return to the past.

A big dream nurtured on a small campus is now turning into everyday reality: a world where robots are in every home. Ten years from now, we won’t be able to imagine life without robots—just as we can’t imagine ordering jajangmyeon without delivery apps today, or hailing a taxi without Kakao T.

★ Watch the interview video with alumnus Sungjae Hwang  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21wBgGyej08​