Physical AI Startup Robros Raises 4 Billion Won

Domestic Physical AI startup Robros raised 4 billion won in new funding. The funds will be used for equipment investment and hiring needed to produce the humanoid robot platform IGRIS-C. Total cumulative funding will exceed 6 billion won.

According to the investment banking industry on the 8th, Robros recently closed a 4 billion won Series A round. The investment was made through the issuance of redeemable convertible preferred shares purchased by financial investors. Stick Ventures, HB Investment, and Lotte Ventures participated.

Stick Ventures led with a 2 billion won investment, while HB Investment and Lotte Ventures each invested 1 billion won. Stick Ventures also led the seed round two years ago, joining then Primer Saje and GS Retail for a total of 1.6 billion won.

Robros, founded in 2020, develops Physical AI humanoid robots. Its AI learns human actions and the robot imitates them, unlike rule-based robots that follow predefined movements.

In industrial settings, for example, a packaging robot only performs packaging, and a transport robot only follows a fixed route. Other tasks are still done by humans, limiting robot autonomy and roles.

Robros imitation-learning robots are expected to replace more human tasks by learning human work and moving autonomously. The company's vision is to replace labor in many industries with humanoid robots.

Investors believe the team can make this a reality. Robros' core researchers are PhD-level members of the Seoul National University Dynamic Robotics System Lab, and are viewed as an optimal team for AI humanoid development with strong robotics and AI expertise.

Robros is also showing visible progress in technical validation. The IGRIS-C platform, scheduled for release this fall, has already received strong interest from customers. IGRIS-C is a 150 cm humanoid capable of high-difficulty motions such as running, jumping, backflips, and cartwheels. Robros plans to pursue commercialization after PoC projects with manufacturing and logistics firms.

An investor said that among companies in the K-Humanoid Alliance formed by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, only four including Robros have complete humanoid products, and cited strong market growth prospects amid aging populations and rising labor costs.