• Showcasing Nexlide innovations at DVN Lighting Workshop (February 4 to 5) 
• Introducing ‘Nexlide Air and Pixel’, featuring proprietary surface light source technology 
• Accelerating European market penetration through targeted OEM roadshows

SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LG Innotek (CEO Moon Hyuksoo) will unveil its advanced vehicle lighting technology in Germany, the historic home of automotive innovation.

On February 3, 2026, the company announced that it will participate in the 39th Lighting Workshop hosted by Driving Vision News (DVN), showcasing its next-generation automotive lighting technologies.

DVN, headquartered in France, is an authoritative specialized media outlet and academic organization serving the automotive components industry. The DVN Lighting Workshop, held annually worldwide, brings together leading global vehicle OEMs and automotive electronics component makers to discuss core challenges in the car lighting industry while providing a premier venue for exchanging information on technological trends and insights.

The 39th DVN Lighting Workshop will be held at Olympia Park, Munich, Germany, from February 4 to 5, 2026. During the workshop, LG Innotek will operate a dedicated exhibition booth showcasing its latest ‘Nexlide’ product lineup.

Its leading products include ‘Nexlide Air’, a thin and lightweight lighting solution optimized for bumper and grille applications using ultra-light silicon-based materials, and ‘Nexlide Pixel’, which achieves the world’s thinnest pixel size (0.08×0.08inch) among vehicle lighting solutions for significantly improved resolution. LG Innotek’s Ultra-Thin Pixel Lighting Module (Nexlide Pixel) received the CES 2026 Innovation Award. 

‘Nexlide Pixel’ displays high-resolution text and images through vehicle lighting and represents a major advancement in vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication capabilities.

For example, in emergency situations, the lettering function enables transmission of in–vehicle status information to emergency responders, while emoticon displays enable drivers to express their individuality.

LG Innotek’s exhibition will also highlight ‘Nexlide Cube’, which creates 3D lighting effects through a multilayered structure that produces a floating light illusion (where light appears suspended in the air), and ‘Nexlide C+’, featuring angle-dependent 3D multi-effects that display different images based on viewing angle.

Following the DVN Lighting Workshop, LG Innotek plans to accelerate its penetration of the European automotive market through targeted roadshows for major OEM customers. By 2030, the company aims to grow its automotive lighting business to about USD 691 million.

LG Innotek has actively promoted its automotive lighting solutions in Europe, including through webinars for European automakers and component makers last year.

Byaeng kuk Yoo, senior vice president and head of the Mobility Solution Business Unit, said: “LG Innotek will continue launching innovative lighting solutions that provide customers with differentiated experiences and grow as a technology partner that is trusted by customers in Europe and Japan, expanding beyond North American markets.”

[Reference] ‘Nexlide,‘ LG Innotek‘s automotive lighting brand, uses surface light source technology to enable uniform lighting across an extended surface without conventional thickness constraints.

LG Innotek holds more than 700 patents related to surface light source technology. This technology enables ultra-slim vehicle lighting modules to emit brighter, more evenly distributed light while substantially enhancing design freedom for customers in vehicle design.

CHONGQING, China, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In 2025, SERES NEV sales exceeded 470,000 units, cementing the company’s position as industry leader. The flagship AITO brand especially stood out, with over 420,000 vehicles delivered throughout the year—making it the top-selling luxury brand in the Chinese market. This achievement underscored AITO’s leadership in China’s high-end new energy market and the rise of Chinese brands in the premium automotive segment.

AITO’s sustained success is no accident. Its “blockbuster” appeal stemmed from precise product positioning, robust capabilities, and a strong reputation among users. All of this resulted in a strong product lineup in the CNY 200,000 to 600,000 price range. The AITO M9 proved to be a true phenomenon, with cumulative deliveries exceeding 270,000 units and a 21-month run as the top model in its segment.

At the same time, the AITO M8 and M7 also established leading positions in their respective segments: the M8 was the best-selling model in the CNY 400,000 segment for six consecutive months, and cumulative deliveries of the M7 surpassed 400,000 units, setting a benchmark in the market. Together, these three flagship models drove brand momentum and reinforced AITO’s competitive edge in the high-end market.

Beyond sales, AITO’s sterling reputation and high vehicle value retention continued to fuel its strong market performance. AITO surpassed traditional luxury brands like BMW and Audi in the Chinese automotive market research firm LandRoad’s New Energy Vehicle Brand Index. With an average vehicle price of CNY 400,000, it also overtook the BBA group (BMW, Benz, and Audi) to become China’s leading luxury automotive brand. This milestone signified both AITO’s dominance in scale and a significant rise in brand reputation, customer trust, and value, establishing it as the top choice for discerning consumers.

Looking ahead, as it expands globally, advances its technologies, and broadens its portfolio, AITO will further strengthen its leadership in the luxury NEV market. With growing confidence, AITO is set to drive greater breakthroughs for Chinese automotive brands worldwide.

– Global pre-registration now available on App Store and Google Play

– Official SMiniz brand page officially open

SEONGNAM, South Korea, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Kakao Games announced today that global pre-registration has begun for SMiniz, a new game based on the IP of SM Entertainment.

Pre-registration for “SMiniz” will run globally until February 23 across multiple regions worldwide. Those who have pre-registered will receive ‘Group Draw Tickets’ as a reward after launch.

Kakao Games has also launched the official “SMiniz” brand page, where users can sign up for pre-registration and access additional details about the game.

“SMiniz” is a mobile casual match 3 puzzle game featuring small character versions inspired by SM Entertainment artists. Players solve puzzles alongside their favorite characters in an accessible and easy to enjoy gameplay experience.

Following a global closed beta test conducted last December, “SMiniz” received positive feedback for its approachable puzzle gameplay, along with a variety of SM IP based content, including photocard collection elements that reflect fandom culture, customizable Toploader and Fan Zone spaces tailored to individual preferences, artist inspired costumes that capture the concept of real world artist activities.

SMiniz is currently in preparation for its official launch in the first quarter of 2026. Developed as an in-house title targeting a global fanbase. Kakao Games will handle global publishing and live service operations, while METABORA is responsible for development and SM Entertainment provides the IP of its affiliated artists.

#APPENDIX

‘SMiniz’ Official Brand Page: https://sminiz.kakaogames.com/ 

About Kakao Games Corp.

Kakao Games (CEO Sang-Woo Han) is the gaming subsidiary of Kakao, specializing in both publishing and development across a wide range of genres, from casual to hardcore titles on PC and mobile. Since its KOSDAQ listing in September 2020, Kakao Games has successfully developed and launched popular titles such as Odin: Valhalla Rising, Uma Musume Pretty Derby, Eversoul, Guardian Tales, and Kakao Battlegrounds, with multiple global releases on the horizon. Kakao Games remains committed to expanding its portfolio and exploring new opportunities in the evolving gaming landscape.

• Nearly 9 in 10 developers across Southeast Asia and India state they use AI weekly, with clear productivity gains reported
• Only 43% believe AI can currently perform at mid-level engineer quality
• 79% cite inconsistent outputs as the biggest barrier to deeper AI integration, outweighing concerns about access, cost, or tooling
• Philippines (88%) and Thailand (84%) show highest concerns about output reliability; even mature markets like Singapore (77%) and Malaysia (73%) remain cautious.

SINGAPORE, Feb. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Developers across Southeast Asia and India are using AI at scale, but confidence in its reliability has yet to fully mature, according to findings from Agoda’s AI Developer Report 2025. While AI has become a regular part of software development workflows, many engineers remain cautious, treating it as an accelerator rather than a dependable substitute for human judgment. AI adoption is now widespread across the region. Nearly nine in ten developers say they use AI on a weekly basis, and most report clear productivity gains. However, confidence has not kept pace with usage. 

Only 43% believe AI can currently perform at the level of a mid-level engineer, highlighting a persistent gap between adoption and confidence. In fact, several major markets show skepticism above the regional average, like Thailand (48%), India (47%), the Philippines (45%), and Singapore (44%).

Within these markets, confidence erodes further for a subset of developers who say they do not think it is possible for AI to match a mid-level developer in quality today. This view is most pronounced in the Philippines (11%), followed by Singapore (7%), Vietnam (7%), Thailand (7%), and India (5%), showing that for many developers, the trust gap extends beyond temporary hesitation.

Inconsistent output remains the primary concern. Seventy-nine percent of developers cite unreliable results as the biggest barrier to deeper AI integration, outweighing concerns related to access, cost, or tooling. This challenge is most acute in markets such as the Philippines (88%) and Thailand (84%), where concerns about output reliability are highest. Even in more mature AI markets like Singapore (77%) and Malaysia (73%), inconsistent results continue to temper confidence and reinforce the need for human oversight.

In response, developers have adapted their workflows to maintain quality. Two-thirds report they always review AI-generated code before merging, and many routinely rework outputs until they meet production standards.

Instead of reducing accountability, the Report finds that AI use has increased the emphasis on review and human oversight. Verification and ownership have become more prominent in daily development work, with engineers retaining responsibility for final outcomes. Confidence, for now, is conditional, built through repetition, testing, and experience rather than assumed by default.

“The next differentiator will not be who adopts AI first, but who builds a clear framework around it for consistent and productive usage,” said Idan Zalzberg, Chief Technology Officer at Agoda. “Southeast Asia and India’s strengths lie in speed and adaptability. Developers are advancing AI adoption with peer oversight and disciplined practices, but the next step is to pair that momentum with enhanced confidence in its capabilities.”

The findings suggest that AI maturity is no longer defined by adoption alone. While productivity gains are tangible, confidence grows only when outputs are consistent and predictable. Teams with strong review habits report higher confidence, while those without structured verification remain more cautious.

At Agoda, these insights reflect how engineering teams work with AI day to day. Developers are encouraged to experiment with AI tools while maintaining clear ownership over outcomes, with review and verification remaining part of standard development practice. This approach supports productivity gains while reinforcing confidence in the quality of AI-assisted outputs.

The Agoda AI Developer Report 2025 draws on survey responses from developers across Southeast Asia and India and includes insights from regional companies such as Carousell, MoMo, Omise, and SCB 10X. It provides a detailed view of how developers are integrating AI into their workflows, where confidence breaks down, and what it will take to move from widespread use to trusted maturity.