MIJ Extends from Tinnitus Care to Semiconductors and Defense with a ‘Physical AI’ Healthcare Platform

MIJ Co., Ltd. (MIJ), headquartered in Chuncheon, is emerging as a leader in tinnitus care with its ETEREOCARE management platform and the dedicated ETEREO TC Square headset. Leveraging in-house fabless design capabilities, the company is simultaneously broadening its scope into healthcare, diagnostics, and defense with an AI edge board called “PotatoPi” and a portfolio of medical-device, FPGA, and SoC solutions. In 2025, MIJ joined Korea’s Defense Venture Center as a partner company to expand its defense network, while increased R&D is paving the way for a smart hearing assist device and a bio-semiconductor point-of-care testing (POCT) solution.

MIJ entered the tinnitus market as aging demographics and noise exposure drive prevalence—an estimated 30% of the global population experiences tinnitus. Its flagship ETEREO TC Square employs bone conduction at the mastoid (the bone behind the ear) to reduce ear fatigue, enabling longer wear and better adherence. Paired with a web-based management platform, the system tracks hearing data and delivers personalized adaptation sounds. The company plans to complete FDA clearance by 2026 for a global release and to expand the lineup with next-generation AI-driven models and a hearing-health program tailored for service members.

Underscoring its global potential, MIJ was named to Fortune Korea’s “Top 40 Korean Healthcare Innovators” in July 2025—a nod to both the market prospects of TC Square and the company’s underlying technology.

Semiconductor IP and FPGA solutions form MIJ’s second growth engine. Backed by a lab portfolio of 181 IP cores spanning high-speed interfaces, audio/video processing, AD/DA, and communications protocols, MIJ will begin licensing individual IPs and commercializing FPGA modules and boards from 2025. Pipelines include video/audio FPGA modules for medical imaging and military communications equipment; sensor-interface system-on-modules for bio/IoT devices; AI edge cards for real-time medical data processing; and embedded defense-grade SoCs with secure communications. The roadmap aligns with Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province’s strategic initiatives in semiconductors and defense.

The newly announced “PotatoPi” targets education, makers, and industrial embedded markets. Compatible with the Raspberry Pi form factor, the FPGA-based AI edge platform integrates AI/ML-optimized IP cores and high-speed interfaces to differentiate performance in edge AI and IoT gateways, emphasizing real-time processing and long-term, stable supply. MIJ also plans to cultivate an open-source ecosystem and roll out FPGA learning kits for education.

On the medical-device side, MIJ is developing a smart hearing assist device. The company is refocusing its digital-health pipeline around “smart hearing assist,” aiming to launch an OTC (over-the-counter) portable product next year at an accessible price point, combining AI signal processing with app connectivity.

In diagnostics, MIJ is preparing a bio-semiconductor POCT platform that fuses semiconductor technology with biosensing. Its first target is glycated albumin (GA), a marker used in diabetes management. MIJ is developing a silicon-wafer-based biosensor SoC designed to quantify GA within minutes from a small blood sample on a handheld device. Because GA reflects short-term glycemic control more effectively than HbA1c, MIJ sees potential to deliver lab-grade accuracy quickly and affordably at hospitals, pharmacies, and home settings. The company aims to validate prototypes in 2025, conduct clinical studies with domestic university hospitals, and proceed to a 2027 market launch.

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MIJ’s fabless–medical device convergence strategy comes as national and regional policies favor semiconductors, bio, and health industries. Programs such as the RISE initiative at Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and Kangwon National University, along with the Defense Venture Center’s support for SME R&D and commercialization, provide a conducive environment for MIJ’s defense participation. Defense-oriented projects include embedded SoCs for secure communications, a hearing-protection solution for service members, and “MedicBall,” an AI- and sensor-based training and diagnostic device.

Guided by a “Physical AI” strategy, MIJ intends to integrate continuous, real-world data generated by its medical devices and semiconductor IP into a unified global healthcare platform. Building on core technologies and the regional innovation ecosystem, the company aims to scale its initial tinnitus-care innovation into smart hearing assists, AI edge boards, point-of-care diagnostics, and defense applications—positioning MIJ as a notable player at the intersection of healthcare and semiconductors on the world stage.

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