StellarCube selected for TIPA Global R&D 2026, launching Korea–US joint research on PainCube with Johns Hopkins and Korea University
Targeting pain prediction 30–60 minutes in advance with AUROC of 0.90 or higher, alongside three years of clinical validation and global SaMD commercialization
StellarCube, an AI health tech company, announced on 16 July that PainCube, its pain prediction platform, has been selected for the 2026 Global Collaborative R&D Program organized by the Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs (TIPA).
The project will be supported by up to 1.5 billion won in government funding over three years. StellarCube has formed a consortium with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in the United States and Korea University Anam Hospital, and will advance PainCube's pain prediction algorithm and carry out joint Korea–US clinical validation.
The selection is significant in that it recognizes PainCube's technical competitiveness, clinical applicability and global commercialization potential. Beyond research funding, it is also seen as an important achievement because it establishes an international joint research structure in which medical institutions in both Korea and the United States take part in securing real clinical data and validating performance.
PainCube is a platform that uses AI to jointly analyze a range of patient biosignals and clinical data — including ECG (electrocardiogram), PPG (photoplethysmogram), HRV (heart rate variability) and SpO₂ (oxygen saturation) — to quantify pain and predict the likelihood of pain occurring in advance.
Through this project StellarCube will refine its algorithm with the goal of predicting the likelihood of pain in ICU patients 30 to 60 minutes in advance and achieving AUROC performance of 0.90 or higher. It will then validate prediction performance and real-world applicability in stages, based on clinical data from actual intensive care settings.
Roles within the consortium are divided according to each institution's expertise. Professor SungMin Cho serves as principal investigator (PI) at Johns Hopkins University, and Professor Hee Jung Kim at Korea University Anam Hospital.
StellarCube is responsible for PainCube's AI algorithm development, clinical data analysis and platform enhancement, while Johns Hopkins University and Korea University Anam Hospital handle clinical data collection, research protocol design and validation of the prediction model's performance. This creates a Korea–US joint research structure in which algorithm development and clinical validation are organically linked.
StellarCube's research team plans to visit Johns Hopkins University in person to discuss the detailed protocol and data analysis framework for the joint research, further strengthening the basis for cooperation between the institutions.
StellarCube intends to treat this Global Collaborative R&D project as a key step in demonstrating PainCube's clinical validity and technical competitiveness. Based on the results of the joint research, it also plans to pursue global SaMD (Software as a Medical Device) approval, entry into overseas medical markets, and commercialization in digital healthcare.
About StellarCube
StellarCube develops solutions in healthcare, culture and tourism, and spatial information based on AI and data technology. Its products under development include PainCube, an AI pain management platform that quantifies and predicts pain in intensive care patients, and HelciO, an AI healthcare platform.
The company currently conducts joint research with medical and research institutions in Korea and abroad, including Johns Hopkins University and Korea University Anam Hospital, and is pursuing global SaMD approval and commercialization of digital healthcare services on the basis of clinical research and advances in AI technology.