At Expand North Star 2025, TECHx Media caught up with Joshua Hyundon Jung, Chief Operating Officer at Tesser, a South Korean startup pioneering medical AI solutions that bridge the communication gap between doctors and patients. “Our company’s motto is connecting every moment in healthcare,” Jung begins, setting the tone for an ambitious conversation about how artificial intelligence can make complex medical information more accessible and meaningful.

Medical Data Understandable for Everyone

Tesser operates with two main solution segments, B2C and B2B. On the consumer side, its healthcare app is already making a difference for more than 120,000 global users across the US, UK, and South Korea. The app allows users to take photos of their medical documents, from CT scans to MRI reports, and instantly receive easy-to-understand explanations.

“Even in our own language, medical terminology can be very hard to grasp,” Jung explains. “Doctors often use complex terms, and in a short three-minute consultation, patients can’t fully understand. That’s where we come in. You just take a picture of your report, and the app breaks down the information clearly. If you still have questions, you can ask the system directly, based on your data.”

Beyond report explanations, Tesser’s app also supports lifestyle and nutrition insights, particularly for cancer patients, who make up over 80 percent of its user base. This has made the company’s anonymized health data a valuable asset for pharmaceutical giants like MSD and Novartis, who partner with Tesser for advanced data-driven insights.

AI Built on Real Patient Data

Jung emphasizes that Tesser’s strength lies in its early start with AI, well before the rise of ChatGPT. “Before ChatGPT, we already had our own large datasets and built small LLMs [large language models]. We also use orchestration from Gemini AI to ensure accuracy. Every week, our team meets to optimize the models based on real medical data.”

The company’s database now includes over 650,000 verified data points, collected through collaborations with patients and doctors. “Cancer patients’ data is very deep and complex,” Jung notes. “That’s why pharmaceutical companies love our platform, it offers real-world insights from real users.”

B2B Solutions for Clinics and Hospitals

In addition to its consumer platform, Tesser offers AI-powered reporting and workflow tools for hospitals and clinics. Once a patient completes a health screening, Tesser’s system converts the results into a mobile-optimized, visual, and interactive report, complete with 3D visualizations.

“For older patients or those unfamiliar with medical terms, this is life-changing,” Jung says. “They can click on any part of the report, listen to an explanation, and even see historical data from the past five years.”

The system also automates appointment reminders and helps doctors with administrative documentation, reducing paperwork by up to 90 percent. “This lets doctors focus more on patients, increases hospital efficiency, and even boosts revenue,” Jung adds. “That’s why major hospitals like Samsung Medical Center are already using our solutions.”

Standing Apart from ChatGPT

When asked how Tesser differs from generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Jung is quick to clarify: “That’s a great question, and doctors ask me this all the time. The difference is that ChatGPT doesn’t use real patient data. It can explain terms, but it can’t provide personalized insights based on actual medical records.”

Tesser’s system, on the other hand, is built entirely on verified, anonymized health data reviewed by real doctors. “We don’t just generate text. We provide accurate, context-aware medical explanations that are grounded in real-world health records,” Jung explains. “We assist doctors, not replace them. Our goal is to support medical professionals and help patients understand their health better.”

The Future of Healthcare

Though still a young startup, Tesser’s technology is already making waves across South Korea’s healthcare ecosystem. “More than 20 hospitals are using our services,” Jung shares proudly. “If we had more resources, we could scale even faster, because hospitals see how much they save in costs and time.”

With its growing partnerships and AI-driven insights, Tesser is redefining how people interact with healthcare, bridging the gap between medical expertise and patient understanding, one moment at a time.

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