OptAI Wins CES 2026 Innovation Award for On-Device AI Optimization Platform

- OptAI, a South Korean startup, won the CES 2026 Innovation Award for its on-device AI optimization platform, OptHancer, which enables large language and vision models to run efficiently on personal devices without relying on the cloud.
- The company has formed partnerships with major industry players and received investments from leading firms, further validating its technological capabilities.
- OptAI will showcase its technology at CES 2026 in Las Vegas, aiming to demonstrate the global potential of on-device AI.


On-device AI is emerging as a critical technology that allows Large Language Models (LLMs) to operate efficiently on personal devices rather than relying on cloud servers. By implementing artificial intelligence without an internet connection, this technology enables immediate interaction while ensuring that personal information and sensitive data remain secure within the device.

OptAI Wins CES 2026 Innovation Award for On-Device AI Optimization Platform / source=OptAI

However, deploying massive AI models on compact devices like smartphones has historically proven difficult. Processing models with billions of parameters within limited memory and computational constraints requires highly sophisticated optimization techniques. Amidst these challenges, a South Korean startup has garnered global recognition for demonstrating superior on-device AI optimization capabilities.

OptAI (CEO Jae-ho Lee), a hardware-aware automation software platform, announced that it has been named a "CES 2026 Innovation Awards" honoree in the Artificial Intelligence category for its optimization platform, OptHancer. This achievement comes as the industry spotlight shifts toward on-device AI technologies that run independently on smartphones and tablets, bypassing cloud dependency.

OptHancer is an end-to-end solution designed to resolve the bottlenecks that occur when running LLM-based AI models on resource-constrained devices. The platform has successfully optimized major large language models, including LG AI Research’s EXAONE 3.5 and 4.0, Meta’s Llama 3, Google’s Gemma 2, and Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5.

Beyond text-based models, OptAI’s technology extends to vision models such as Detection Transformers (DeTR) and the Object Detection System (YOLO) series, as well as multimodal models like Qwen2-VL and LLaVA that process both text and images. According to OptAI, the solution has proven its optimization capabilities on the hardware front as well, specifically on the latest Neural Processing Unit (NPU) chipsets, including Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Gen 3, and Elite.

OptAI has established strategic partnerships with major industry players such as LG Electronics, LG Uplus, and Hanwha Aerospace. The company’s technological potential has been further validated through investments from LG Electronics, FuturePlay, Mashup Ventures, and HL Mando.
Jun-young Seo, COO of OptAI, who led the global expansion and the CES project, remarked, "We believe this award recognizes our efforts to present a future for on-device AI that breaks free from cloud dependency." He added, "We look forward to translating OptAI's vision of 'Any Model, Any Device'—embedding all AI models into every device—into tangible technical achievements on the global stage."

OptAI is set to participate in CES 2026, held in Las Vegas starting January 4, 2026, as part of the Seoul Pavilion. Through this exhibition, the company plans to demonstrate the technical capabilities of OptHancer to a global audience.

Hyun-woo Kim, CEO of the Seoul Business Agency (SBA), stated, "Seoul continues to prove the innovation and potential of its startup ecosystem in the global market by producing numerous Innovation Award winners every year." He emphasized, " The SBA remains committed to bolstering the global expansion of startups and building a sophisticated Seoul-style startup ecosystem through various support programs."

By Hyung-seok Kang (redbk@itdonga.com)