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[CES 2025 Innovation Award Special] Neudive's 'Buddy-in' Opens the Future of Treatment for Children with Autism. Targeting the Global Market!

  • Jul 6
  • 3 min read

Neudive (CEO Sung-ja Cho), a provider of innovative digital solutions for neurodiversity, garnered global attention by winning the Innovation Award at CES 2025. The award-winning product is 'Buddy-in,' a digital therapeutic for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Social Communication Disorder (SCD).


Ji-hun Choi, Editor-in-Chief of AVING News and a former CES 2024 Innovation Award judge, conducted an in-depth interview with Neudive CEO Sung-ja Cho, exploring the significance and process of winning the CES 2025 Innovation Award as well as the company's future global market strategy.


Buddy-in is designed as a social simulation game set in a school environment, based on 'Digital Social Skills Training.' It customizes the learning experience to each user's individual progress and provides interactive practice opportunities. According to the company, its gamification design is also effective in increasing user engagement and improving program participation rates.


The program runs for 15 minutes a day, five days a week, over six weeks, and allows caregivers to join in generalizing skills learned through digital therapy to real-life activities. Thanks to this simple structure and flexibility, Buddy-in can be seamlessly integrated into home-based routines.


Buddy-in's initial safety and efficacy were statistically verified in an exploratory clinical trial conducted in 2023, and on this basis, a confirmatory clinical trial plan was approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) on May 24, 2024.




[Photo caption: 'Buddy-in,' the CES 2025 Innovation Award-winning digital therapeutic for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Social Communication Disorder (SCD) | Provided by Neudive]


The confirmatory clinical trial is being conducted at the previously participating hospitals — Samsung Seoul Hospital, Daegu Catholic University Medical Center, and Seoul St. Mary's Hospital — with the addition of Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, using a multi-institutional, randomized, evaluator-blinded design. The trial targets children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Social Communication Disorder, with the goal of improving social situational awareness and interaction.


Above all, the product builds realistic therapeutic scenarios by incorporating the voices of users and experts, and provides vivid therapeutic experiences through a reward system designed according to stages of rapport development.


Neudive plans to complete Korean MFDS certification for Buddy-in by 2025 and accelerate its entry into the global market. In particular, the company is focused on strategic collaboration and technology development targeting the US and European markets, and is preparing to innovatively transform the paradigm of autism spectrum disorder treatment.


CEO Sung-ja Cho, who leads Neudive, currently serves as a board member of the Korea Healing & Job Association, a board member of the Korean Society for Autism, and a member of the Digital Therapeutics Clinical Trial Consortium. She has previously served as President of the Korean Society of Pharmaceutical Medicine, Policy Committee Chair of the Korean Society of Pharmacovigilance, and a steering committee member of the Korea National Enterprise for Clinical Trials. Her experience as Medical Director at Pfizer Korea, Janssen Korea, and Eli Lilly Korea is expected to contribute significantly to Neudive's development of digital therapeutics and global market entry strategy. Through winning the CES 2025 Innovation Award, Neudive's mission — not only the technological capabilities of 'Buddy-in' but also its commitment to providing a healthy life for neurodivergent individuals and their families — is being recognized around the world.




Meanwhile, AVING News—which has covered CES on-site for 20 consecutive years—introduced various programs designed to expand opportunities for overseas expansion and establish a bridgehead for Korean SMEs and startups entering the global market. Ahead of CES 2025, the company hosted a "Global Media Meetup" for promising Korean SMEs. As part of an effort to foster connections between the domestic industry and international media, AVING News provided a platform for these companies to showcase their innovative technologies, products, and services to the global market. Participating international tech media outlets included GEEKSPIN, Ubergizmo, and Interesting Engineering from the U.S., as well as Le Café du Geek from France. During the CES 2025 exhibition, AVING News operated the "AVING Space Studio," catering to both global corporations and innovative Korean startups. Furthermore, following the conclusion of CES 2025, the company is co-hosting a review conference with participating firms, creating an opportunity to garner domestic attention and helping to enhance their corporate image.



 
 
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