Samsung Electronics announced on the 31st that it has secured a major shareholder position in Rainbow Robotics, a leading domestic robotics company. To accelerate the development of future robots, including humanoids, Samsung Electronics has also established a Future Robot Promotion Team directly under the CEO.
Samsung Electronics exercised its call option regarding Rainbow Robotics, in which it holds a 14.7% equity stake after investing 868 million won last year. Consequently, Samsung Electronics will increase its equity stake in Rainbow Robotics to 35.0%, becoming the largest shareholder from its previous position as the second-largest shareholder. Rainbow Robotics is expected to be included as a subsidiary in Samsung Electronics' consolidated financial statements.
Earlier, in January of last year, Samsung Electronics purchased a 10.22% equity stake in Rainbow Robotics for 590 million won, and in March of the same year, it spent 278 million won to acquire additional equity and signed an option contract, leaving open the possibility of eventually acquiring Rainbow Robotics and becoming the majority shareholder.
Rainbow Robotics is a robotics specialist company established in 2011 by researchers from the KAIST Hubo Lab, which developed Korea's first bipedal robot, "Hubo." The company develops and supplies bipedal robots, quadrupedal robots, collaborative robots, and more. Samsung Electronics plans to accelerate the development of advanced humanoids by integrating Rainbow Robotics' robotic technology with artificial intelligence (AI) and software technology.
The newly established Future Robot Promotion Team is an organization focused on the development of future robot technologies, including humanoids, with a plan to secure core technological competitiveness that will change future paradigms and drive key growth initiatives. Professor Oh Jun-ho, a founding member of Rainbow Robotics and an honorary professor at KAIST, will serve as a consultant for Samsung Electronics and head of the Future Robot Promotion Team after retiring from Rainbow Robotics.
As the largest shareholder of Rainbow Robotics, Samsung Electronics will also operate a synergy committee between the two companies to strengthen global robotics business and development leadership. The synergy committee is expected to play a bridging role in aiding the growth of both companies by developing future robot technologies, establishing robotics business strategies, and discovering demand. Samsung Electronics plans to utilize collaborative robots, dual-arm robots, and autonomous mobile robots from Rainbow Robotics for automation of tasks in manufacturing and logistics.