ROBROS Receives Next Innovator Prize at NextRise 2026 as the Only Robotics Company Honored

SEOUL, South Korea, June 23, 2026 — ROBROS, a humanoid robotics company specializing in AI-powered autonomous systems, has been recognized as the only robotics company to receive the Next Innovator Prize at NextRise 2026, Korea’s largest startup and open innovation event jointly hosted by Korea Development Bank (KDB) and the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).

The award recognizes ROBROS’ technological innovation and growth potential among hundreds of participating startups. This year, ROBROS was the sole company from the robotics sector selected for the honor.

At the event, ROBROS showcased its proprietary humanoid robot, IGRIS-C, demonstrating AI-powered autonomous mobility in a real exhibition environment. The robot seamlessly navigated among visitors, highlighting its potential for deployment across manufacturing, logistics, semiconductor, and other industrial settings. The live demonstration attracted significant attention from industry leaders, investors, and attendees.

ROBROS’ core technologies combine imitation learning-based autonomous task execution with reinforcement learning-based bipedal locomotion and whole-body control. By integrating advanced AI capabilities with robotics hardware, the company is developing humanoid systems designed for real-world industrial applications.

KB Investment, which recently led an investment round in ROBROS, cited the company’s full-stack capabilities spanning both hardware and artificial intelligence as a key differentiator. The firm also highlighted ROBROS’ rapid progress in advancing whole-body control and Vision-Language-Action (VLA) technologies, as well as its ability to quickly conduct proof-of-concept (PoC) deployments in industrial environments.

ROBROS continues to strengthen its position in Korea’s humanoid robotics industry, securing the largest number of projects under the humanoid robot demonstration program led by the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement (KIRIA).

“This award is a meaningful recognition of ROBROS’ AI humanoid technology and commercialization capabilities,” said Seungjun Roh, CEO of ROBROS. “We will continue to develop humanoid platforms that deliver tangible value in industrial environments and expand our presence in the global market.”