BeroAI brings pet communication to Montréal

Imagine a device that sends you an alert when your pet feels stressed due to an unfamiliar environment. The device can also suggest the most appropriate solution based on data gathered on a continuous basis. 

That is precisely what BeroAI seeks to develop. The South Korean company is opening an R&D lab in downtown Montréal to develop sophisticated software to bridge the communication gap between pets and their owner and strengthen their bond.  

“When it comes to AI for Good, Canada’s AI community has shown tremendous leadership. Montréal especially anticipates AI’s future and aims to advance the field to the next stage, which makes the city an ideal location for our project,” explains Soyeong Jeong, founder of BeroAI. “In the past few years, generative AI has taken off very rapidly. Yet, it seems like pets are being left out of the ongoing advancement. We’re looking to develop this new area of research and foster a two-way communicative relationship between pets and their owners.” 

A dog named Bero 

Prior to BeroAI, Soyeong Jeong spent twelve years at Samsung where she led teams in the advanced technology division. More specifically, as a system architect, she worked on long-term projects to develop smart home and virtual reality technologies, gaining strong expertise in software and hardware integration and system communication.  

Meanwhile, at home, Ms. Jeong was growingly curious about her beloved golden retriever, Bero, who inspired her next journey. “Bero is a very quiet dog who barely reacts, even when we’re at the vet to get her shots. I wanted to find a way to understand her emotions,” adds Soyeong Jeong. 

She founded BeroAI in 2024. With a team of about 20 members, the company develops an advanced AI system that includes both software and hardware. The system captures sensory cues (audio, smell, vision, etc.) in a smart collar worn by the pet. The data is then interpreted through an algorithm that helps interpret pets’ emotions and behaviors.  

The new Montréal R&D lab will be focused on AI research and data science development to create multimodal AI to understand canine emotions and actions using audio, video, IMU, text and more. BeroAI Montréal has already partnered with Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute to enhance research and seeks to work closely with the local ecosystem. Soyeong Jeong is also relocating to Montréal where she will lead the R&D team. BeroAI’s hardware development team is based in Seoul. The company also has offices in Toronto and Vancouver. 

“Montréal’s AI expertise is top-notch. BeroAI is the kind of projects that takes our ecosystem a step further with a commercial application to this disruptive technology,” said Stéphane Paquet, President and CEO of Montréal International. “What’s more, it’s yet another South Korean entrepreneur betting on our city to take its innovation to the next step. It’s great to see such a strong collaboration forging between Seoul and Montréal around our respective AI ecosystems.” 

Unveiled in November 2024, BeroAI’s first prototype is currently undergoing testing to improve design and function. The product’s official launch is expected in the second half of 2025. 

For more information, please visit Beroai.ca