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Lablup’s 10th Anniversary: An Unstoppable Voyage

Hello, I’m Juyoung Lim, a Content Creator at Lablup.

In 2025, Lablup celebrates its 10th anniversary. Long before the rise of technologies like self-driving vehicles or advanced decision-making systems, Lablup was already making strides in the AI field. Over the past decade, we've built a strong track record for our innovative technology and have recently moved into a new office space.

This new office stands a chance for us to rethink how we work together. Previously, our two-level office created some challenges for communication across teams. But we now have a spacious environment where creativity moves around, a place where everyone can collaborate more easily and work closely together.

To make this move as smooth as possible, we formed an office relocation task force (TF). In addition to handling logistics, the TF gathered feedback from our team about their wishes for the new office. Suggestions ranged from practical concerns, like “bright but non-glaring lighting,” to more original ideas, such as “interesting names for the meeting rooms.”

By incorporating this feedback and addressing key needs, we ensured that our office remains a reflection of Lablup’s warm, dynamic, and collaborative culture. Through the whole process, we tried to bring these ideas to life. This new office now provides us with an opportunity to reimagine how we collaborate in this refreshed environment.

One example is our meeting room, ‘Eta Carina,’ named after a stunning nebula where stars are born. Just as the nebula serves as a birthplace for new stars and ideas, this room is designed to inspire creativity and innovation. Additionally, there are vibrant red and yellow “thinking chairs”—a place to relax and brainstorm. I’m excited to introduce our new office, a product of collective effort, where small yet impactful changes have come together to shape a space, we can all be proud of.

Lablup, Selling Jeans in the Age of AI

At the entrance of our office, there is a picture of miners and a person selling jeans. This image symbolizes Lablup’s motto—can you guess its meaning? In the 19th century, a historical event occurred in California when gold was discovered, and many settlers rushed to mine it. This period is known as the Gold Rush. Interestingly, those who made more money than the miners were the ones selling durable jeans to the miners. They observed the trend of the time and seized a business opportunity.

Similarly, Lablup is committed to "selling jeans" in the era of AI. We provide Backend.AI—our ‘jeans’—to help AI researchers, developers, enthusiasts, and industries in related fields operate and manage AI more efficiently. Our "jeans" bring people closer to the era of AI and allow them to scale and operate AI flexibly, regardless of the size. This commitment led to the creation of Lablup's slogan: "Make AI Accessible and Scalable."

Lablup’s Hall of Fame

Another notable feature at the entrance is our 'Hall of Fame,' where we showcase various awards, partner program certificates, patents, and other achievements that Lablup has made over the past 10 years.

You’ll see names of well-known companies like NVIDIA or Intel, as well as government agencies like the Ministry of Science and ICT, and even the name of the Presidents of South Korea. Visitors are often surprised to see these achievements on display, and we, too, are inspired by the Hall of Fame as we pass by each day.

One small detail you might miss is a signature on Lablup’s logo—it was signed by none other than Vint Cerf, known as the 'Father of the Internet.' Cerf played a key role in establishing the foundation for the modern internet, serving as the first chair of the Internet Society (ISOC) and as Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist. You might be thinking, “Wait, isn’t the Father of the Internet Dr. Jeon Gil-nam in Korea?” Yes, Dr. Jeon is known as the Father of the Internet in Korea, and he and Cerf have collaborated in the past. So, how did Cerf's signature end up on our logo? In 2018, Vint Cerf visited Seoul for a talk, where our CEO, Jeongkyu Shin, had the honor of hosting the event. It was during this event that our CEO had the opportunity to ask Cerf for his signature, which now proudly adorns our office logo.

So, how did Cerf’s signature end up on our logo? That year, Cerf attended a special talk at Google Campus in Samsung-dong, Seoul, titled “The Future of the Internet and Startups.” Our CEO, Jeongkyu Shin, was the moderator of the event and took the opportunity to ask Cerf for his signature. This signed logo was one of the items our CEO specifically requested to be brought along when we moved into our new office.

Making Work Enjoyable: Inside Lablup’s Main Office

While Lablup has grown as a tech-driven company, we’ve always placed importance on the people behind the technology.

From the very beginning, our goal was to "become a bridge between individuals shaped by technological progress," and this philosophy is reflected in our new office design.

At our main office, we’ve created a space where members can fully focus on work. Every desk is an adjustable standing desk, designed to reduce fatigue from long periods of sitting and protect members’ posture. We also carefully selected high-quality monitors, such as Apple Studio Display and LG UltraFine 5K, to maximize productivity when connected to Mac.

In addition to individual desks, there are plenty of lockers and coat racks, which are well-used by members. While we previously had a hot-desking system, members now appreciate the flexibility of personalized lockers, even with the switch to a quarterly seat assignment system.

Our main office turns into a space for fun and networking during in-house events. After moving into our new office, we invited some of our valued guests to a small event called ‘LablUp-grade,’ where we created designated talking spaces along with team-building games and activities.

One of the fun aspects of working at Lablup is that one's desk is never fixed. Every quarter, we change our seats, which means we don't have to suffer with the same view every day. Instead, we get the opportunity to work with different team members and enjoy a refreshing change of scenery. The seating arrangements are chosen through a "game" during our 'Culture Day,' an event where most of the Lablup members compete passionately to secure their preferred spots. As a member of the DevRel (Developer Relations) team, I recently had the privilege of organizing this seating assignment event, and I was proud to see everyone participate with such enthusiasm.

At Lablup, we strive to connect culture with our workspace, creating a fun and vibrant environment for everyone.

Space centered around communication and fresh ideas: 'Sirius' and 'Eta Carina'

Have you ever heard of creative names for meeting rooms? Lablup’s meeting rooms certainly have their share of unique names.

For example, our small meeting room next to the main office is called ‘Sirius,’ named after the brightest star in the night sky. Just like this star, it’s where Lablup members' ideas shine the brightest. Perfect for quick exchanges, the room is equipped with a large whiteboard and a TV for video conferences, making it an ideal space for our development teams’ sprint meetings. At Lablup, we’ve seen that big ideas often come from small, close-knit team meetings.

Even though it’s a meeting room, members often use it for solo work when not booked for meetings. Door closed, it transforms into a personal workspace where you can work in peace, listening to music and enjoying the view of the city.

‘Eta Carina’ is a larger meeting room named by our GenAI research leader, Eunjin Hwang. Inspired by a nebula where stars are born, it’s a place where ideas, like stars, are created. In this room, you can sit alongside others and collaborate to create something greater than you could on your own, and that's the true vision of this space.

A Stop at the Lagrange Point: Relax, Breathe In, Breathe Out

At Lablup, while some members work in the office, others work remotely or from abroad, making face-to-face time even more valuable. We all strive to make the most of these moments when we come together.

One of the most striking things I’ve noticed at Lablup is how, after lunch, everyone gathers in the lounge instead of immediately returning to their desks. We share conversations, play games, or even play the piano. It's truly a great way to bond and exchange insights about industry trends and developments.

This lounge is called ‘Lagrange Point,’ named after the gravitational equilibrium point in space where two celestial bodies balance their gravity. Similarly, it’s a place for our members to rest, recharge, and come together in a relaxed environment.

At Lablup, many of our members are developers, and as a result, we have interior details that truly resonate with their tech sensibilities. In the lounge, warm music plays from a first-generation MacBook Air (Intel Core 2 Duo Processor), using iTunes to stream through a Harman Kardon speaker. On the corner of a desk, there’s also a toy block designed to resemble the NVIDIA A100 GPU, adding a little tech-inspired touch to the space.

We also keep a variety of snacks on hand, with new ones arriving every week, bringing joy to members as they enjoy a quick break.

Lastly, our office features high-quality coffee for our coffee enthusiasts. We take great pride in having the finest beans and top-tier machines, ensuring that our team’s love for coffee is always satisfied. We even mention in our job listings that we have the "best beans and coffee machines" because, for us, great coffee is an irreplaceable part of our office culture. We regularly restock flavorful beans to keep the coffee flowing.

Next to the lounge is ‘Luna,’ a private space designed for relaxation. Equipped with a massage chair, foam rollers, and yoga mats, it provides the perfect environment to stretch yourself and recharge when you need a break from work.

Want to Join Lablup?

Lablup was founded to bridge the gap between people shaped by technological innovation.

We’ve been developing Backend.AI to bring the world closer to AI, and we’re looking for like-minded individuals who want to join us on this journey. If there’s one reason to commute in, it should be to work alongside passionate people with fresh ideas—people you can collaborate with to create something greater than you could alone.

If you’re interested in being part of this exciting journey, visit our careers page to explore the open positions!