“Our Platform Eliminates Server Overhead and Complex IT Maintenance with Mobile, Ultra-Low-Power E-Paper Signage for Retail, Smart Offices and Smart Factories.”
PANGYO, GYEONGGI-DO, SOUTH KOREA, October 16, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — APELLES, a specialized Internet of Things (IoT)-based electronic display solutions company, is leading the digital transformation of the display market through its mobile-based electronic paper display platform, TikTag. By combining mobile applications with low-power wireless communication technologies to control diverse display devices—such as electronic shelf labels (ESL), digital nameplates, and electronic information boards—APELLES maximizes information management efficiency in offline environments.
Conventional electronic display systems required building complex networks and central servers, resulting in high installation costs and making ongoing maintenance by specialized IT personnel indispensable. In contrast, APELLES’s TikTag platform allows anyone to easily transmit information and update content in real time via a smartphone application, using Near Field Communication (NFC) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technologies, without requiring separate network hardware or complex infrastructure. This is a key factor in significantly reducing deployment and operational costs, leading to broad adoption among small business owners, general enterprises, and public institutions.
The electronic paper displays applied to the TikTag solution consume minimal power, operating on a single battery for anywhere between 1 and 10 years without requiring recharging or replacement. Because wiring is unnecessary, they can be mounted on any desired wall surface or furniture, eliminating the waste of repeatedly printing and discarding paper. With annual global paper waste and its associated social costs reaching approximately 60 trillion KRW, APELLES delivers eco-friendly solutions that realize paperless smart spaces. In fact, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province built a smart office environment by actively adopting APELLES’s electronic nameplate solution as part of its zero-carbon and zero-waste initiatives.
APELLES has already secured notable references across major conglomerates and the public sector. Selected as an official ESL supplier for the electronics retail stores of global enterprise Xiaomi, the company has deployed its products across retail venues, and its solution was also adopted on Samsung Electronics’ mobile division production lines as smart factory electronic displays, replacing paper work order sheets. Furthermore, more than 30 public institutions across South Korea, including Seoul City Hall and the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education, actively utilize APELLES’s electronic nameplate solutions to build smart offices.
Building on its success in the domestic South Korean market, APELLES is accelerating its expansion into global markets. Having completed related patent registrations in the United States, the company plans to expand its footprint into Europe, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Minwoong Choi, CEO of APELLES, is actively leveraging the startup ecosystem of Pangyo Techno Valley—a hub for ICT and AI industries—to broaden technology collaborations and business partnerships with domestic and international partners, with the ambition to leap forward as a global specialist in digital display platforms.
Pangyo TV met with APELLES CEO Minwoong Choi at the Startup Campus in Pangyo Techno Valley to discuss their mobile-controlled e-paper platform, serverless IoT hardware, zero-waste smart office initiatives, and global market expansion strategy. Reporter Thomas Frederiksen conducted the interview.
Q1. Thomas Frederiksen, Reporter: Can you tell us a little bit about your company?
A. Minwoong Choi, CEO of APELLES: APELLES is a company that develops and provides mobile-based electronic display solutions. Under our brand name “TikTag,” we currently provide electronic display hardware and integrated service solutions.
Q2. What makes these electronic labels so special compared to conventional electronic displays?
A. Minwoong Choi: These electronic display devices are used in retail stores and smart offices to replace conventional paper labels and signs. Traditional electronic display solutions operate on server-based network infrastructure, making installation complex and expensive. In contrast, our solution operates directly via a mobile app without requiring network infrastructure. Conventional server-driven network systems always require dedicated IT specialists, making installation and maintenance difficult. With our system, anyone can effortlessly install, update, and manage displays using Bluetooth image transmission directly through our mobile application.
Q3. What are the primary industries and environments where your products are deployed?
A. Minwoong Choi: Our primary target market is small and medium-sized retail environments, such as franchise food and beverage stores and retail shops. We provide Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) to replace conventional paper price tags in the retail sector. Our second target market is smart offices, where we provide electronic nameplate solutions to replace disposable paper desk signs, attendee name cards, and meeting room signage, playing an essential role in realizing truly smart, paperless offices. Our third market is smart factories, where our electronic displays replace paper-based work instruction sheets and factory floor process indicators.
Q4. What notable corporate and public sector clients are currently using APELLES’s technology in South Korea?
A. Minwoong Choi: We have been developing and supplying our products for over five years, so we have secured a substantial customer base. Notably, we were selected as the official Electronic Shelf Label supplier for Xiaomi electronics retail stores, where our ESL products are actively installed. In the smart factory sector, our electronic displays are deployed across production lines in Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Division. Furthermore, our electronic nameplate solution is currently utilized across approximately 30 domestic public institutions and government agencies, including Seoul City Hall and the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education.
Q5. How does your electronic paper display hardware work, and what are its key power and installation advantages?
A. Minwoong Choi: Our electronic display devices utilize Electronic Paper Displays (EPD), commonly known as e-paper. Although it looks like regular printed paper at first glance, it is an electronic display. The most notable characteristic of e-paper is its ultra-low power consumption. Powered by standard batteries, it can operate for 1 to 10 years without requiring recharging or replacement. Because it requires no electrical wiring or power outlets, users have complete freedom to install it anywhere across diverse environments.
Q6. Could you explain some of the specific use cases for your double-sided display hardware?
A. Minwoong Choi: This proprietary hardware device developed by APELLES features a double-sided display. First, it can serve as a two-sided electronic nameplate in smart office meeting rooms to display attendee names. Second, retail stores and furniture showrooms can use it to display product descriptions, promotional details, and pricing on both sides. Third, restaurants can utilize it for table reservation notices, guest names, or dynamic menu boards.
Q7. How does shifting from single-use paper signage to reusable e-paper displays address environmental and cost concerns?
A. Minwoong Choi: Information changes rapidly and frequently today, and our solution is optimized to reflect those updates efficiently in real time. Conventional paper labels are printed once and thrown away. Because our electronic displays can be reused semi-permanently, they significantly reduce ongoing paper procurement and disposal costs, providing a truly eco-friendly solution. Globally, the social and environmental cost of paper waste disposal is estimated at approximately 60 trillion KRW. Our solution directly reduces these environmental disposal costs, which is why the Jeju Provincial Government recently adopted our electronic nameplate solutions as part of their zero-carbon and zero-waste public initiatives.
Q8. How do you see the global market evolving, and what are your international expansion plans?
A. Minwoong Choi: The global market for electronic displays replacing paper signage is experiencing rapid growth, but global market penetration is estimated at only 5% to 10%, indicating immense untapped potential. While we initially focused on scaling in the domestic Korean market, we are planning to expand into the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia. We have already filed and registered relevant patents in the US market. Leveraging our proven domestic track record, we are actively preparing for global market entry through participation in international exhibitions and overseas Proof of Concept (PoC) projects.
Q9. Finally, as you operate here at the Startup Campus in Pangyo Techno Valley, what are the main benefits of being located in this tech hub?
A. Minwoong Choi: Pangyo is home to a high concentration of leading IT corporations and vibrant venture startups. Being immersed in this startup ecosystem creates continuous opportunities for cross-industry collaboration. Furthermore, being located in Pangyo provides direct opportunities to introduce and deploy our solutions to neighboring technology companies and regional public institutions, making it an ideal business environment for our company.
Kim Seung Yeon
Gyeonggi Business & Science Accelerator
+82 31-776-4834
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