This article was published on Oct. 23, 2025, at 2:32 p.m. on the ChosunBiz MoneyMove site.
HD Hyundai Group's robotics affiliate HD Hyundai Robotics has finalized fundraising of 180 billion won. Its valuation rose fourfold in five years, which is interpreted as a positive assessment of its high market share in the domestic industrial robot market and its growth potential in the global market.
HD Hyundai Group is carrying out major business restructuring and sector consolidation and efficiency efforts by sequentially pursuing mergers of its shipbuilding and construction equipment affiliates, and among them HD Hyundai Robotics will take charge of the group's important robotics sector and develop it as a future growth engine.
According to investment banking industry sources on the 23rd, HD Hyundai Robotics held a board meeting that morning and decided to raise 180 billion won. Following that board meeting, HD Hyundai's holding company board is scheduled for the 24th, and a stock purchase agreement (SPA) is planned to be signed the same day. The investment payment is scheduled for the 30th.
Brain Asset Management's unit KY Private Equity and Korea Development Bank are teaming up to acquire a 9.1% stake. KY PE will invest 60 billion won from its blind fund, and 120 billion won will be invested from a project fund formed by Korea Development Bank and KY PE.
HD Hyundai Robotics was valued at 1.8 trillion won this time. That is about four times higher than its valuation of 500 billion won when it received a 50 billion won investment from KT in 2020.
HD Hyundai Robotics is the market leader in the domestic robotics market. Its consolidated sales last year were 214.9 billion won, up 24% from the previous year. There is a considerable gap in sales compared with peers Doosan Robotics (46.8 billion won) and Rainbow Robotics (19.3 billion won).
HD Hyundai Robotics has also increased safety and scalability by integrating AI into its robots, releasing a controller equipped with its proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) safety solution "SafeSpace 2.0." It is also expanding its global network, for example by establishing a production subsidiary in China, and is aggressively targeting overseas markets.
With this fundraising, HD Hyundai Robotics plans to accelerate development of physical AI technology. It plans to develop robot technology capable of responding immediately to changes in the work environment through a self-judging and acting "robot foundation model (RFM)."
This funding for HD Hyundai Robotics marks the first major decision approved by the group's board since the Chung Ki-sun leadership began on the 20th. Under Chairman Chung, HD Hyundai plans to foster the robotics business as one of its key growth engines.
HD Hyundai previously announced plans to consolidate shipbuilding affiliates by merging Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hyundai Mipo Dockyard into a single shipbuilder and to merge Hyundai Construction Equipment and Hyundai Infracore, among other sectoral consolidation plans for its affiliates.