Motif Technologies joins sovereign AI foundation model project

South Korean AI startup Motif Technologies has additionally been selected to join the government’s sovereign artificial intelligence foundation model project, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Friday, as Seoul looks to strengthen its push to develop a nationally homegrown AI system.

The decision follows a supplementary call for proposals launched after two earlier contenders were dropped, leaving a slot open among the project’s core teams. Officials said the additional review was aimed at reinforcing the competition by adding a technically self-reliant developer.

In the latest round, the ministry conducted an in-depth assessment of the Motif Technologies-led consortium, which also includes KAIST and Trillion Labs, before ultimately selecting Motif.

According to the ministry, Motif stood out for its ability to independently design and implement key technologies.

“The company has proposed and implemented multiple core modules on its own and has developed proprietary foundation models not only in text but also across image and video domains,” Kim Kyung-man, director general of AI policy at the ministry, said during a press briefing at the Government Complex Seoul.

Motif plans to develop a reasoning-focused large language model with 300 billion parameters built on domestically developed AI technology.

With its selection, Motif joins LG AI Research, Upstage and SK Telecom, which all advanced in the initial screening last month. The four teams will now head into the next stage of evaluation.

The first round had narrowed the field after Naver Cloud and NC AI failed to advance. The ministry subsequently reopened applications to maintain four competing teams in the program.

A second-round evaluation is scheduled for August, when the four teams will compete for three spots. By the end of the year, the ministry plans to select two final recipients of support.