South Korean startup BANF is breaking into the U.S. autonomous truck market with a proprietary smart tire system that enhances safety and fuel efficiency.

The company, founded in late 2020, has already secured partnerships with three of the world’s top autonomous driving companies and is now collaborating with the U.S. Department of Defense to expand into new sectors.

Unlike passenger vehicles, autonomous trucks are seen as an immediately profitable application for self-driving technology, as driverless operation can extend driving time from 8 hours to 24 hours. This raises the stakes for tire performance, since longer driving hours reduce tire replacement cycles from one year to just 2.5 months, making safety and efficiency critical.

BANF has developed a globally unprecedented system that uses sensors and communication technologies embedded in tires to continuously monitor pressure, temperature, tire wear, alignment, lug nut status, load, and road conditions.

This real-time monitoring not only mitigates accident risks but it also drastically improves fuel efficiency.

Thanks to its advanced technology, BANF has become a regular winner in competitive innovation contests. After claiming first place at the 2023 Maeil Business Newspaper’s Try Everything pitch competition, it was selected last year for Korea’s Deep Tech 1000+ startup program. Earlier this year, BANF won the U.S. Army xTechLive competition at CES 2025, earning $10,000 in prize money and the opportunity to collaborate with defense experts.

CEO Yoo Sung-han, who earned his degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Seoul National University, founded the company with a global vision from the outset.

He gained business experience through SNU’s startup network and hands-on work in China during his studies.

“Tire technology stood out as a high-margin, under-innovated sector that’s highly sensitive to future tech trends,” said Yoo. “Given the scale and entry barriers of the global market, we identified the trucking industry—particularly in the U.S.—as the ideal entry point. With logistics companies owning and managing the fleets, commercialization becomes easier.”

BANF is now accelerating its expansion, starting with partnerships with leading U.S. autonomous truck startups. The company also works with global tire makers and logistics firms, aiding in the development of new products and sharing real-time road surface data to improve fleet operations.

BANF’s competitive edge lies in its wireless power delivery technology for high-speed rotating tires and its on-device artificial intelligence. The company’s flagship product, the iSensor, features a proprietary 3-axis acceleration sensor, tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), and low-energy Bluetooth, enabling precise multi-axis sensing and real-time communication.

The system, when combined with the Smart Profiler, delivers continuous wireless power directly from the vehicle battery to the sensors—solving one of the biggest technical challenges in tire monitoring.

BANF’s integrated iSensor + Smart Profiler system positions the company at the forefront of global tire and road surface monitoring—achieving a level of precision and reliability still unmatched by major international players.

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