KDB and Atinum Investment host Physical AI startup showcase

Korea Development Bank (KDB) and Atinum Investment hosted the ‘KDB NextRound – Physical AI Special Round’ in Seoul to showcase startups specializing in Physical AI. Physical AI refers to the integration of artificial intelligence with physical devices such as robots, vehicles, and medical equipment.

Keynote speaker Song Ki-young, CEO of Holiday Robotics, demonstrated the industrial humanoid robot ‘Friday,’ which can mimic human hand movements for tasks like moving cargo or using drills. Other participating startups included:

• Rideflux: A provider of autonomous driving solutions for middle-mile logistics, currently undergoing the KOSDAQ technology exception listing process. • Deden Robotics: Developing specialized industrial humanoid robots for unstructured and high-load environments like shipbuilding and construction. • Moobin: Utilizing LiDAR and camera technology for real-time AI motion capture with high accuracy. • MediIntech: Developing soft robotic endoscopes and surgical robots for non-invasive procedures.

KDB and Atinum Investment emphasized the need for large-scale, patient investment to help these startups overcome the high capital requirements and reliability challenges inherent in bringing Physical AI to real-world industrial applications.