LG Electronics announced on the 24th that it has secured management rights in the artificial intelligence (AI)-based commercial autonomous robot corporation Bear Robotics. With this, LG Electronics plans to accelerate its robot business, which is a future growth engine.
LG Electronics held a board meeting on the 22nd and decided to exercise a call option to acquire an additional 30% equity in Bear Robotics. Bear Robotics is an AI-based commercial autonomous robot corporation established in Silicon Valley, U.S., in 2017. It is recognized for its global technical capabilities in areas such as building robot software (SW) platforms, cluster control technology that allows multiple robots to move along optimized paths, and cloud control solutions.
Last year in March, LG Electronics invested $60 million to acquire a 21% equity stake in Bear Robotics and signed a call option contract to acquire up to 30% additional equity. Upon completion of the call option exercise, LG Electronics will hold a 51% equity stake in Bear Robotics, securing management rights and incorporating it as a subsidiary.
Through this, LG Electronics will integrate its entire commercial robot business centered around the "CLOi robot" with Bear Robotics. Key executives, including CEO Ha Jung-woo of Bear Robotics, will remain in their positions to ensure continuity of the existing business while participating as members of the LG Electronics board to focus on generating synergies in the commercial robot sector.
This collaboration is expected to lead to the advancement of LG Electronics' overall robot business software capabilities. For instance, by building an integrated solution platform encompassing commercial, industrial, and home robots based on Bear Robotics software, homogeneous solutions can be provided to users. The integrated platform can also apply commonly to various robots, potentially reducing development time.
Lee Samsu, CSO (Vice President) of LG Electronics, noted, "This additional investment is based on LG Electronics' firm commitment to nurturing robots, which represent a 'clear future,' as a new growth engine," and said, "We will continue to drive innovation across fields such as commercial, industrial, and home robot businesses."
LG Electronics plans to strengthen its home and industrial robot businesses while targeting the commercial robot market through Bear Robotics. The home robot sector will be overseen by the Home Appliance Division, which is responsible for consumer electronics. The focus will be on providing a comprehensive experience where home robots recognize the status of family members through empathic intelligence and seamlessly connect home appliances and services.
The mobile AI home hub (Q9), scheduled for release within the year, is a representative example. The Q9 freely moves around the house, communicating with users and organically connecting and controlling home appliances and IoT devices through multimodal sensing that incorporates wheels on two legs, autonomous driving technology, and voice, sound, and image recognition. It can navigate obstacles like carpets or floors naturally and express emotions through a display.
LG Electronics explained that industrial robots are the backbone of its smart factory business, driving growth in the sales unit through integration with AI and digital transformation (DX). For instance, the "autonomous vertical articulated robot" recognizes its surroundings using sensors such as cameras, radars, and lidars, effectively moves around, and supplies materials.
Jo Joo-wan, CEO of LG Electronics, said at a press conference held at 'CES 2025' in Las Vegas, "Robots represent a clear future," and added, "In addition to focusing on food and beverage and logistics delivery robots, we are also preparing home robots like the mobile AI home hub."