Key Takeaways
- • Five U.S.-based venture capital firms, including Mitsui Global Investment, E12 Ventures, Good Growth Capital, Slater Technology Fund and Silicon Foundry, will visit South Korea in early November to meet domestic physical AI companies, according to Seoul Economic Daily citing industry sources.
- • The delegation will attend Robot World 2026 in Ilsan from the 4th to the 6th of next month, the first year overseas venture capital firms have taken part in Korea's largest robot exhibition.
- • Mitsui Global Investment and E12 Ventures, both affiliated with Japanese trading house Mitsui & Co., could give Korean robot companies access to Mitsui's global manufacturing, logistics and energy network.
- • Korean physical AI funding remains small relative to the U.S.: Holiday Robotics raised 155 billion won in July 2026, while Apptronik raised $415 million in a Series A last year and a further $520 million in February 2026.
Summary
U.S.-based venture capital firms are scheduled to visit South Korea early next month to meet domestic physical artificial intelligence companies, according to industry sources cited by Seoul Economic Daily on October 22. The investors plan to assess opportunities and explore business tie-ups with Korean firms developing technology in areas such as industrial site data and robot software.
Officials from Mitsui Global Investment, E12 Ventures, Good Growth Capital, Slater Technology Fund and Silicon Foundry will attend Robot World 2026, Korea's largest robot exhibition, held in Ilsan from the 4th to the 6th of next month. The event is hosted annually by the Korea Association of AI and Robot Industry, where domestic venture capital firms previously made up most attendees. An association official said the foreign firms attending this year are strongly inclined to invest in Korean companies.
All of the U.S. firms have invested in deep tech fields such as AI and robotics. Good Growth Capital, which has mainly backed early-stage U.S. companies, lists data science, life sciences and green tech as targets. Slater Technology Fund focuses on software and energy technology and on commercializing university research. Silicon Foundry, a venture advisory firm that connects large corporations with startups, also counts scouting humanoid startups among its areas. Industry watchers expect Korean robot companies could use these firms to pursue proof-of-concept projects with global corporations.
Venture capital executives say the interests of foreign investors seeking exposure to manufacturing-heavy Korea and those of Korean physical AI companies expanding into global markets are converging. Korean firms are seeking overseas capital to fund research and development, data collection, production capacity and customer development. Building computing infrastructure, gathering AI training data, producing prototypes, conducting field validation and establishing mass-production systems all require substantial spending.
Korean investment in physical AI is growing but remains modest compared with the United States. Holiday Robotics raised 155 billion won in July, the largest single funding round for a Korean humanoid specialist. An industry official said Korean products can compete globally in robots deployed at scale in factories, but most Korean physical AI companies have yet to land large customers or secure overseas investment.
Officials from Mitsui Global Investment, E12 Ventures, Good Growth Capital, Slater Technology Fund and Silicon Foundry will attend Robot World 2026, Korea's largest robot exhibition, held in Ilsan from the 4th to the 6th of next month. The event is hosted annually by the Korea Association of AI and Robot Industry, where domestic venture capital firms previously made up most attendees. An association official said the foreign firms attending this year are strongly inclined to invest in Korean companies.
All of the U.S. firms have invested in deep tech fields such as AI and robotics. Good Growth Capital, which has mainly backed early-stage U.S. companies, lists data science, life sciences and green tech as targets. Slater Technology Fund focuses on software and energy technology and on commercializing university research. Silicon Foundry, a venture advisory firm that connects large corporations with startups, also counts scouting humanoid startups among its areas. Industry watchers expect Korean robot companies could use these firms to pursue proof-of-concept projects with global corporations.
Venture capital executives say the interests of foreign investors seeking exposure to manufacturing-heavy Korea and those of Korean physical AI companies expanding into global markets are converging. Korean firms are seeking overseas capital to fund research and development, data collection, production capacity and customer development. Building computing infrastructure, gathering AI training data, producing prototypes, conducting field validation and establishing mass-production systems all require substantial spending.
Korean investment in physical AI is growing but remains modest compared with the United States. Holiday Robotics raised 155 billion won in July, the largest single funding round for a Korean humanoid specialist. An industry official said Korean products can compete globally in robots deployed at scale in factories, but most Korean physical AI companies have yet to land large customers or secure overseas investment.
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