# NAVER D2SF Invests in Clone Labs, an AI Startup That Predicts User Intent and Decisions

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/naver-d2sf-invests-in-clone-labs-an-ai-startup-that-predicts-user-intent-and-decisions
- Published: 2026-05-19T07:00:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

– Developing a "User Model" that records and accumulates users’ computer and agent
usage patterns in real time to predict next actions

– NAVER D2SF continues to back founders identifying new opportunities emerging from
the AI paradigm shift

SEONGNAM, South Korea, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — NAVER D2SF, the corporate venture
capital arm of NAVER, has made a new investment in Clone Labs(CEO, Minchan Kim),
an AI startup focused on understanding user intent and context. Clone Labs develops
a User Model that learns computer and agent usage patterns to predict and execute
next actions on behalf of users. NAVER D2SF decided to invest in the team based 
on its ability to quickly identify emerging problems in the AI era and pursue them
relentlessly through experimentation.

 [  ](https://mma.prnasia.com/media2/2981913/D2SF.html)

As AI agents become more widely adopted, the very process of issuing commands and
reviewing results is emerging as a new bottleneck. Paradoxically, the faster agents
work, the more frequently users are pulled in for feedback — creating growing fatigue
around "agent management."

To address this problem, Clone Labs is building a User Model: an AI that understands
user intent and context without requiring constant intervention, enabling autonomous
decision-making on the user’s behalf. Rather than asking users to repeatedly explain
context and step in manually, the User Model learns from users’ behavior and preferences
and communicates directly with AI agents.

The model is structured around three layers designed to maximize accuracy: Recording,
which captures computer usage patterns; Memory, which accumulates and analyzes context
and preferences during decision-making; and Prediction, which predicts and executes
next actions based on those inputs. Clone Labs also applies a confidence-based gating
system, automatically executing tasks when prediction confidence is high while escalating
low-confidence or critical decisions back to the user. The company recently launched
its first products, "Clone Desktop" and "Clone Plugin," targeting AI-native builders
who actively work with multiple AI agents.

Clone Labs was founded by undergraduate students from Seoul National University 
and has published seven research papers related to AI agents, including collaborations
with Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University. The team has also conducted
research in key foundational technologies such as CUA (Computer-Use Agents), long-
term memory systems, and privacy-preserving memory architectures — all essential
components for building User Models.

Clone Labs was initially discovered through the 2025 NAVER D2SF Campus Startup Competition
and received investment just three months after entering NAVER D2SF’s incubation
program in January 2026. NAVER D2SF highly recognized the team’s rapid iteration
across problem definition, hypothesis testing, and product validation within a short
timeframe.

"As AI technology advances rapidly, entirely new bottlenecks and market opportunities
are emerging alongside it," said Sanghwan Yang, Head of NAVER D2SF. "Clone Labs 
quickly recognized that productivity is increasingly constrained by the bottleneck
between humans and AI agents, and the team is tackling this challenge with strong
research expertise and exceptional execution." He added, "NAVER D2SF will continue
to support founders who identify and experiment on the frontlines of the AI era,
while expanding collaboration opportunities with NAVER."

**About NAVER D2SF**

NAVER D2SF is NAVER’s in-house corporate venture arm, supporting sustainable growth
by collaborating with startups. Founded in 1999, NAVER has maintained its position
as Korea’s leading search engine for over 20 years and operates across commerce,
content, fintech, and cloud services. Under the technological vision of D2 (For 
Developers, By Developers), NAVER is actively developing new technologies and global
partnerships to grow as a leading tech company.

To learn more, visit [https://d2sf.naver.com](https://d2sf.naver.com/)

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**Read the original article :** [NAVER D2SF Invests in Clone Labs, an AI Startup That Predicts User Intent and Decisions ](http://www.prnasia.com/story/archive/4961615_CN61615_0?rand=184833)