Caremedi
2 known investors
CareMedi is a South Korean medical device company, founded as a university spinout from Sogang University in 2015, that develops wearable drug-delivery devices based on its proprietary plate electroosmotic pump (PEOP) technology. Its main product is a patch-type insulin pump for type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients, and it plans to expand into artificial pancreas systems and AI-based glucose management.
Also known as CareMedi Co., Ltd. ยท ์ผ์ด๋ฉ๋
Founders & leadership
Investors ยท 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026CareMedi (์ผ์ด๋ฉ๋) is a South Korean medical device company that develops drug-delivery devices built around its proprietary plate electroosmotic pump (PEOP) technology. Instead of the gear-and-motor plunger mechanism used by conventional syringe-based and patch pumps, the company applies electro-osmosis โ fluid movement induced by an applied voltage โ to draw and dispense the drug solution directly, removing mechanical moving parts. According to company and press material, this yields silent operation and power consumption roughly one third to one quarter that of mechanical motors, allowing a smaller battery and a thinner, lighter device.
Its commercial product, CareRevo (์ผ์ด๋ ๋ณด), is a wireless patch-type insulin pump with a 3 mL / 300-unit reservoir, 11 mm thickness, 17 g weight and up to seven days of continuous wear, with insulin dosing controlled through a mobile app. The company positions these specifications against Insulet's Omnipod, described as holding 2 mL, lasting three days, 15 mm thick and 26 g. CareMedi reports holding roughly 70โ80 global patents covering the core pump and precision channel structures, and states it is the only company to have commercialized a direct electroosmotic pumping architecture.
The company obtained Korean medical device product approval (์ ํ 24-146ํธ) in 2024, then spent about two years scaling manufacturing and stabilizing production yields before full commercial launch in 2026. Certifications and awards listed on its site include venture business certification (2017), a Minister of Health and Welfare commendation (2018) and GMP certification (2020).
Founding story
Founder and CEO Woon Sup Shin (์ ์ด์ญ), an electrochemist and professor in the chemistry department at Sogang University from 2013, led a Ministry of Health and Welfare national R&D project worth about KRW 5 billion to develop an implantable drug infusion pump โ described as the largest such domestic project at the time. Building on the precision fluid-control patents accumulated through that project, he established CareMedi in 2015 as a faculty spinout.
Business model
Development and manufacture of regulated medical devices โ a reusable/disposable patch insulin pump plus companion mobile app โ sold to diabetes patients following domestic regulatory approval and in-house production scale-up.
Sales of the CareRevo patch-type insulin pump device to patients in the Korean market following its 2026 commercial launch.
Traction
Korean medical device product approval (์ ํ 24-146ํธ) obtained in 2024; two years of production capacity expansion and quality stabilization followed; commercial launch occurred in 2026 with reported strong initial demand, 60โ70% of early customer data attributed to parents of pediatric type 1 diabetes patients. A hospital-controlled clinical trial in 20 adult type 1 diabetes patients is under way with the research team of Professor Kim Jae-hyun at Samsung Medical Center.
Latest developments
Full commercial rollout of CareRevo began in 2026 following 2024 Korean product approval and two years of manufacturing scale-up. A controlled clinical trial in 20 adult type 1 diabetes patients is ongoing in partnership with a Samsung Medical Center research team, with plans to extend the clinical pipeline to pediatric and type 2 diabetes populations ahead of global expansion.
โธFull profile โ market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
CareMedi competes in the wireless insulin patch pump market, which the source describes as effectively dominated by Insulet's Omnipod โ cited at KRW 4 trillion in global revenue for the single device family in the prior year and growing about 20% annually. CareMedi frames CareRevo as exceeding Omnipod on thickness, weight, reservoir volume and wear duration, and claims sole commercialization of direct electroosmotic pumping.
Direct electroosmotic pumping of the drug solution rather than motor-driven plunger actuation, producing a silent, thinner (11 mm) and lighter (17 g) device with a larger 3 mL reservoir and up to seven days of wear; a portfolio of roughly 70โ80 global patents on the pump and channel structures acts as the stated barrier to entry.
Technology
The core technology is a plate electroosmotic pump (PEOP), branded PEOPยฎ, which uses electrochemical reactions and an applied voltage to move fluid without gears, motors or a mechanical plunger. The company describes this as a "direct" electroosmotic pump that extracts and dispenses the drug solution itself, in contrast to approaches that use an electroosmotic element merely as an actuator pushing a conventional syringe piston. Removing the mechanical drive yields noiseless operation and cuts power draw to about one third to one quarter of a mechanical motor, reducing battery volume and enabling an 11 mm-thick, 17 g device. Around 70โ80 global patents cover the pump and precision channel structures. Dosing is managed via a mobile application.
Go-to-market
People with insulin-dependent diabetes; after commercial launch, 60โ70% of early purchasers were reported to be parents of children with type 1 diabetes. Clinical work targets adult type 1 patients, with planned expansion to pediatric type 1 and type 2 patient groups.
Geography
Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, with initial commercialization in the domestic Korean market and stated plans to expand internationally on the basis of accumulated clinical data.
History
CareMedi initially pursued commercialization of implantable drug infusion pumps, but during fundraising was told the implantable market had too few patients to be commercially viable. On the advice of an outside director, the company pivoted to the larger insulin patch pump market, a move it says was fast because the core pump patents had already been secured during the implantable phase. In 2021 the CEO approached continuous glucose monitoring company i-SENS, which took an equity stake and became a partner; this catalyzed a KRW 10 billion Series A in 2021, followed by a KRW 25 billion Series B in 2023. Korean product approval came in 2024, and commercial launch of CareRevo followed in 2026 after production scale-up.
Compiled by commissioned research from 5 cited public sources โ announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed โ not independently audited.
Timeline ยท 9
launches, deals, and filingsCareMedi is running a hospital-controlled clinical trial in 20 adult type 1 diabetes patients with the research team of Professor Kim Jae-hyun at Samsung Medical Center.
After two years of production scale-up and process stabilization following 2024 approval, CareMedi began full commercial sales of CareRevo.
CareMedi obtained Korean medical device product approval for its patch insulin pump.
CareMedi raised a Series B round reported at KRW 25 billion, with existing investors continuing to lead and participate.
CGM company i-SENS took an equity stake in CareMedi and became a partner after the CEO presented the company's pump technology; this catalyzed the Series A round.
CareMedi raised a Series A round reported at KRW 10 billion following i-SENS's equity investment.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
โธResearch sources ยท 5
primary sources listed
- Caremedicaremedi.co.kr ยท web
5 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Caremedi do?
- Korean medical device maker of CareRevo, a patch-type insulin pump driven by its proprietary electroosmotic PEOP pump technology.
- Who founded Caremedi?
- Caremedi was founded by Woon Sup Shin.
- Who are Caremedi's investors?
- Caremedi's investors include Atinum Investment Co. Ltd., Korea Investment Partners.