Hunet Plus Secures Investment from Global Strategic Investors…. Accelerates U.S. and Global Market Entry

Success in commercializing government sponsored next-generation technologies; expected to serve as a catalyst for building deep-tech investment ecosystem.    Hunet Plus Co., Ltd. (CEO Hyukjin Cha), a company specializing in next-generation semiconductor and display materials, announced on Aug. 13th that it has secured Pre-Series B investment for entry into the U.S. market from global semiconductor-related companies, including strategic investors from Japan and Taiwan, as well as the Korean financial investor, ANDA Asia Ventures.   In particular, this investment—secured at a time when US and Korea’s tariff issues in the semiconductor sector are coming to the forefront—marks a significant milestone, as it has attracted investment from leading investors from Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.    The deal is expected to provide strong momentum not only for securing the original technology of ML-EUV® (Molecular Layer Assembled Extreme UltraViolet Technology, Process and Materials—a multilayer molecular film vacuum process-type photoresist for extreme ultraviolet lithography), but also for obtaining international patents to support market entry into the U.S., Japan and global markets.   Furthermore, as one of the few Korean start-up companies to successfully attract foreign investment from Japan and Taiwan, Hunet Plus is expected to gain strong traction in expanding its markets while strengthening its global competitiveness.   Hunet Plus’ ML-EUV® has overcome the limitations of achieving ultra-high resolution (below 10 nm line width) and sub-2 nm line edge roughness (LER), which have been difficult to realize with existing methods such as: ﾷ Second-generation chemical amplification resists (wet process, Chemical Amplification Resist) ﾷ Third-generation inorganic nano-cluster-based resists (wet process, Nano Cluster Based Resist) ﾷ Fourth-generation inorganic dry-process resists (dry process, Inorganic Precursor Resist)   Hunet Plus’ ML-EUV® achieves world-class performance of ultra-high resolution below 10 nm and line edge roughness below 2 nm by using organic precursors and inorganic precursors at the molecular level, forming 10–20 nm ultra-thin multi-layered resist films through its proprietary Organic–Inorganic Molecular Layer Deposition Process®—an innovative dry molecular-layer stacking method. Through this strategic investment, Hunet Plus has formally launched commercialization efforts for ML-EUV®. Based on the world’s highest-performing ML-EUV®, the company plans to jointly commercialize ML-EUV® equipment and processes for dry processing with leading global semiconductor equipment manufacturers, while also supplying core organic and inorganic process materials for ML-EUV®-related semiconductor processes in partnership with global materials companies. In doing so, Hunet Plus aims to position itself as a key player in the semiconductor materials, components, and equipment sector.   Hyukjin Cha, CEO of Hunet Plus, stated: “In the global semiconductor market, national borders no longer matter. In the near future, technologies and products like our ML-EUV®—innovative and market-leading—will be the basis for global companies to collaborate and build ecosystems that dominate the market and ensure sustainability. We anticipate additional USD 10 Million follow-on investments from our existing shareholders as well as other global companies, including in the U.S., and will work with local clients to build unique and sustainable ecosystem.”   Haesun Kim, Senior Executive Director of HunetPlus, who played a pivotal role in leading the successful domestic and overseas fundraising, drew on more than 25 years of professional experience in international finance and foreign capital attraction, commented: “Although the past two years have been a very challenging period for Hunet Plus—requiring not only navigating detailed and rigorous due diligence imposed by top-tier international investors but also had to lead strategic negotiations—it has been deeply rewarding. In particular, despite a difficult investment climate as well as attracting interest from potential investors to one of the top level industries in the world, this has become a meaningful success story made possible by the organic cooperation with HunetPlus executives.”   Cho Namhoon, CEO of K-Ground Ventures, an existing investor and the operator of Scale-Up TIPS who provided behind-the-scenes support for this investment, said: “Even in Korea’s challenging environment for bold investments in original technology, we had a strong belief in Hunet Plus’ global-standard R&D capabilities. Through the Hongneung Advanced Science & Technology Commercialization Fund, we took the bold step of making an early-stage investment, followed by support for subsequent fundraising, reinvestment through the Innovation IP Fund, and additional backing via Scale-Up TIPS. This long-term investment strategy has brought significant results. In particular, the attracting investment from renowned global investors is expected to support U.S. market entry and lead to further follow-on investments, ultimately building a sustainable global supply ecosystem for Korean semiconductor technology through joint Korea–U.S. R&D, production, and marketing.”   Meanwhile, on August 6 (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump, at an Apple facility investment announcement event, stated, “We will impose 100% tariffs on every semiconductor imported into the United States.”This announcement has drawn intense attention from semiconductor startups and investors, as semiconductors are the second-largest category of U.S.-bound exports, especially ahead of the upcoming Korea–U.S. summit, where the government’s response will be closely watched.    정현식 기자investment investors leading investors tech investment support market

2025.08.13. 21:00

Era of 100 Trillion KRW in AI Investment: Korea Builds Investment Ecosystem for World-Class Physical AI Startups

As the era of 100 trillion KRW in AI investment begins, an investment ecosystem is being built in Korea for world-class domestic startups leading the Physical AI market.    KGround Ventures, a deep-tech commercialization-focused venture capital firm and operator of the Scale-Up TIPS program, announced on the 8th of July that it has established the “K-Physical AI · AI Convergence Startup Alliance” in collaboration with domestic and international venture capital firms, local governments, and major associations. The goal is to create an investment ecosystem supporting the global expansion of AI convergence and on-device AI startups.   Mr. Cho, CEO of KGround Ventures and organizer of the AI Council, stated: “From the perspective of technological sovereignty, we need sovereign AI. But in order to protect our technological sovereignty and generate real results in the global market, we urgently need a strategy to build value chains through the convergence of deep tech companies—based on Korea's core industries—and AI.”   He emphasized that “This will enable mutual validation of technologies and the creation of viable markets.” He further added, “Deep tech companies with excellent technology and intellectual property (IP) should not be overly reliant on POCs (Proof of Concept) with large corporations. Instead, it is important that they commercialize converged AI technologies and IP applicable across industries within ecosystems developed in collaboration with support agencies and investors.”   Cho concluded that “Korea already leads the world in technology competitiveness in deep tech fields such as semiconductors, manufacturing, defense, bio, and medical. Based on these strengths, we must build an AI convergence startup investment ecosystem centered on support agencies and investors to maximize synergy with sovereign AI.”   Meanwhile, the event held on Friday, July 4 at Changjo Agora featured participation from several next-generation AI technology startups, including HyperVisual AI Inc. (CEO Sam-Yoon Jung), which is developing a GPNPU for on-device AI; Daton Co., Ltd. (CEO Dong-Hyun Kim), which owns a proprietary RBM (Restricted Boltzmann Machine) neural network model and is developing native LLMs and data center AI Ops; THIRA Robotics Co., Ltd. (CEO Dong-Gyong Kim), a company developing autonomous logistics robots; and WIM Inc. (CEO Woo-Jin Jun), a provider of AI control solutions for physical AI. Also in attendance were companies achieving results in AI convergence businesses in the bio, healthcare, and mobility sectors, including Qgenetics Co., Ltd. (CEO Mun-Seog Chang), Nemesis Co., Ltd. (CEO Sung-Ho Wang), and Yellowknife Inc. (CEO Han-Sung Lee).   Notably, THIRA Robotics, HyperVisual AI, and WIM signed an MOU for joint development of next-generation AI logistics robots. They agreed to collaborate on market-driven joint R&D, investment attraction, global IP filings, and marketing through rapid decision-making and feedback processes.   In addition, the launch event for the alliance saw active participation from global experts in AI convergence industries, including: ﾷ Seok-Jin Yoon, former President of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) ﾷ In-Suk Han, Head of the K-Bio Lab Hub Project Group ﾷ Jong-Yun Kim, Head of the Venture Growth Center at Incheon Technopark (Incheon TP) ﾷ Young-Chul Yoo, CEO of Kairos Ventures ﾷ Yoon-Chul Lim, CEO of Technovalue ﾷ Dr. Sang-Min Lee of SambaNova, a Silicon Valley-based AI semiconductor company ﾷ Chi-Won Han, CEO of IPS Patent Law Firm   Together, they declared the launch of the “AI Alliance SHIFT”, aiming to create global outcomes in the AI convergence industry, including physical AI. Former KIST President Seok-Jin Yoon, In-Suk Han of the K-Bio Lab Hub, and Nam-Hoon Cho, CEO of K-Ground Ventures, were appointed as co-chairs of the alliance. With the goal of connecting to the Silicon Valley investment ecosystem, they pledged to establish a representative AI consortium for Korea.   Separately, K-Ground Ventures plans to form a global AI IP fund to invest in AI convergence technologies and physical AI companies and intellectual property (IP). In collaboration with global investment firms such as Plug & Play, a renowned Silicon Valley accelerator with an extensive international investment network, they intend to actively build a global ecosystem to nurture AI convergence global enterprises spanning physical AI and bio-healthcare.    정현식 기자investment ecosystem investment ecosystem physical ai ai convergence

2025.07.08. 17:18

HyperVisual AI Secures Investment from K-Ground Ventures Innovation IP Fund for On-Device AI Vision Intelligence

HyperVisual AI, a startup developing on-device vision intelligence solutions that apply AI technology directly on edge devices without relying on cloud connectivity, announced on June 2nd that it has secured investment from K-Ground Ventures, a leading VC in deep tech commercialization in Korea and the first operator of the Scale-up TIPS program.   Founded in 2023, HyperVisual AI is a semiconductor-based AI startup that is developing a General-Purpose Neural Processing Unit (GPNPU)—an AI processor operable on-device—as well as proprietary AI models and frameworks. Their GPNPU architecture, a hybrid structure combining general-purpose GPU computing (GPGPU) and Neural Processing Units (NPU) into a single core, enables efficient low-power AI computation. This technology is considered highly optimized for on-device environments. The company was recently selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' “1000+ Super Gap Startups” program, drawing significant interest from fabless firms, VCs, and investors.   CEO Samyun Jung of HyperVisual AI stated that “We are pleased to have our patent value highly recognized and to have secured investment from the K-Ground Innovation IP Fund, which specializes in deep tech IP investments. HyperVisual AI is actively conducting joint development projects with client companies in the on-device AI industry, where convergent technologies are the key to competitiveness. With our outstanding R&D capabilities and Korea’s deep tech infrastructure, we aim to grow into a global hybrid vision intelligence total solution provider through collaboration with clients and investors.”   Nam-Hoon Cho, CEO of K-Ground Ventures and a leading expert in deep tech technology commercialization, said, “We have long recognized the GPNPU hybrid architecture technology of HyperVisual AI as an innovative IP and technology that can lead the future on-device market. Based on mentorship and business support, we decided to proceed with the investment. The target markets for on-device applications—mobile, consumer electronics, mobility, and robotics—are areas where Korean companies are particularly strong. We believe that competitive Korean firms can lead the global market through convergent technology. Bold government policy support is needed to establish a new ecosystem that will lead the global on-device AI market, which is expected to become a next-generation growth engine.”   K-Ground Ventures also announced that, through this investment, it plans to build an on-device semiconductor alliance in collaboration with organizations like the Fabless Industry Association, and actively work to discover, invest in, and foster innovative companies.   According to a Deloitte report, the on-device AI market is expected to grow rapidly at an annual rate of 27.95%, reaching USD 16.7 billion by 2031.   Attachment 1: Introduction to HyperVisual AI Technology The GPNPU architecture currently under development is designed so that the GPU and NPU share memory, with each handling parallel and matrix operations, respectively. This approach resolves bottlenecks, memory access delays, and complex pipeline issues common in traditional heterogeneous computing architectures (CPU, DSP, NPU), significantly improving power efficiency.   Moreover, GPNPU is designed to support not only Vision Transformers but also multimodal and cross-modal AI architectures on edge devices, showing strong potential for future scalability.   Based on this technological foundation, the company plans to complete GPNPU IP design by 2025 and begin commercializing its semiconductor IP in 2026. The ultimate goal is to secure technological leadership in the on-device AI market with a total vision intelligence solution that integrates their proprietary processor and models.      최지원 기자intelligence investment device vision ground ventures device environments

2025.06.01. 21:56

MJ Tech Inc. and Abdulaziz Saud Abunayyan trd Co. (Saudi Arabia eco-friendly solution company) have confirmed a US$100 million investment with a new concept generator

MJ Tech Inc. (located at 94-1 Manwol-ro, Namdong-gu, Incheon), a company that manufactures and produces key components for inductors for electric and electronic products, announced on December 17 in Saudi Arabia that it had signed a contract to attract an investment of US$ 100 million (approximately 140 billion Korean won) from Abdulaziz Saud Abunayyan trd Co. which is Saudi Arabian eco-friendly solution company, with its newly developed new concept, new technology generator (MLG-1).   After the MOU signed at the Korea-Saudi Arabia Business Forum on July 30, 2024, MJ Tech Inc. has now achieved great results, providing an opportunity to establish itself as a leader in the global renewable energy sector in the future.   The new concept new technology generator (MLG-1) developed by MJ Tech Inc. is a generator with a new technology that has not yet been introduced to the world, which drastically reduces frictional force and even resolves the heat generation caused by it based on the magnetic levitation technology that rotates the generator without using bearings. One of the Southeast Asian countries have already confirmed the specifications of MJ Tech Inc.’s generators and have expressed their intention to purchase over 50,000 generators, and they are planning to distribute them first to countries with underdeveloped power environments and households around the world that need eco-friendly power. Furthermore, generators that can be used for industrial purposes are also in the initial development stages.   This investment will be used to establish a local joint venture and R&D center with Saudi Arabian Abdulaziz Saud Abunayyan trd Co., and to produce next-generation products with improved and superior performance, said Choi Seon-gyu, CEO of MJ Tech Inc., and expressed his gratitude to the CEO of Abdulaziz Saud Abunayyan trd Co. for his interest in and investment in the technology developed by a Korean SME.   This contract is a valuable step forward that shows that Korean SMEs can also succeed in overseas expansion if they have technology that is recognized overseas, and it is expected to serve as an example for Korean companies armed with competitive items and technology.    박원중 기자 ([email protected])investment generator technology generator saudi arabia new technology

2024.12.22. 17:11

Youngest Performer: Galaxy Corporation's CEO “Choi Yong-ho” signs MOU with Saudi Investment Ministry during President Yoon's economic mission

Waleed Alobidiy, CEO of METAMIND, Badr Albadr, Vice Minister of Saudi Investment, and Choi Yong-ho, CEO of Galaxy Corporation, signed an MOU at the Korea-Saudi Investment Forum held at the Riyadh Fairmont Hotel in Saudi Arabia on the 22nd.   Galaxy Corporation, an AI metaverse company, participated as an economic delegation during Republic of South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which lasted for four nights and six days until the 26th. Galaxy Corporation signed an MOU at the Korea-Saudi Investment Forum on the 22nd (local time).   The forum was organized by The Federation of Korean Industries(FKI) and the Saudi Investment Ministry. The MOU was signed by the Saudi Ministry of Investment and Galaxy Corporation with the aim of entering and expanding the sports business market in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia.   Galaxy Corporation, South Korea's first AI metaverse company founded on a global super IP, has recently gained attention as the producer of Netflix's survival entertainment 'Physical: 100'. Prior to this, Galaxy Corporation produced 'Bookae Contest' on Mnet in 2020, 'The Era of Bookae' on TV Chosun in 2021, and 'AVA DREAM' in 2022.   Galaxy Corporation has established a close relationship with Saudi Arabia. Now, the spotlight is on whether Galaxy Corporation will venture into the entertainment and sports industries, leveraging the success of Netflix's 'Physical 100'.   Choi Yong-ho, the CEO of Galaxy Corporation, accompanied South Korea’s President Yoon on his state visit to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The economic mission included most of the heads of major Korean conglomerates, such as Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, GS Chairman Huh Tae-soo, and HD Hyundai President Chung Ki-sun. Notably, Choi Yong-ho, born in 1989, drew attention as the youngest member of the delegation. Galaxy Corporation is the only entertainment company represented, apart from CJ ENM.   Following 'COMEUP 2022' held in Seoul in November last year, Galaxy Corporation continued its exchanges with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Investment, Khalid al-Falih, and Minister of SMEs and Startups, Lee Young. During this event, they were among the first to visit. Later, in March at 'Bivan 2023' in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Galaxy Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Investment to collaborate on entering the Middle East business.   Further achievements can be expected as a result of the MOU signing ceremony, which was attended by approximately 50 government officials and businessmen from both countries and took place on the morning of the 22nd (local time).   Jang Ho-Gi, the producer of 'Physical: 100,' who recently joined Galaxy Corporation, stated at the "BCWWW (Broadcast World Wide) 2023" event held in August, 'The vision is to create the series in different countries, starting in Korea, and develop it into an international sports event, similar to the Olympics, in the future.' It is expected that 'Physical: 100' will serve as a link and an investment bridge between Galaxy Corporation and the Saudi Arabian sports industry.   Saudi Arabia continues to invest vast sums of money in the sports sector. In June, the U.S. PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia LIV Golf merged with approximately $3 billion. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has expressed its intention to host the FIFA World Cup for the second consecutive year, with plans to host the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup just one year after the 2034 FIFA World Cup.   Through 'Physical 100', Galaxy Corporation has showcased its technological prowess in broadcasting production, management, and the entertainment industry. This could potentially open doors for the company to enter other Middle East regions, particularly Saudi Arabia and Qatar, both of which have shown significant interest in the sports business.   An entertainment industry source mentioned, 'Galaxy Corporation has already signed an MOU with Saudi Arabia in March, so it should be able to deliver concrete results during this state visit. If we establish business infrastructure in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, including core capabilities and technologies such as metaverse, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual reality, significant growth could be achieved.’    김진우 기자 ([email protected])corporations investment saudi investment galaxy corporation saudi ministry

2023.10.23. 17:53

Principal Bruce Jeong of Middle East Investment Facilitates Aiitone in Signing MOU with the UAE Royal Family.

The MOU between the UAE Royal Family and aiitone has been concluded, confirming the promotion of business between Korea and the UAE.   KOSDAQ-listed company aiitone (CEO Jin Yeop Lee) announced on the 20th that it signed an MOU with the Royal Family Office led by the Prince (Ahmed Bin Faisal AL Qassimi) and a delegation at the headquarters of the Royal Family Office. The purpose of the MOU is to open branches in three Asian countries (Korea, China, and Japan) and to support Islamic banking in Korea.   Through this business agreement, aiitone plans to cooperate with the establishment of a branch office in Asia (KOREA, CHINA, JAPAN), which is being promoted by the Royal Family Office. The goal is to seek various collaborations by establishing an APAC (Asia-Pacific) network.   The Royal Family Office has decided to actively promote the expansion of Islamic banks in Korea and facilitate the entry of Korean companies into the Arab world. This includes attracting investments in promising domestic startups. In particular, it plans to cooperate closely with Korea in block chain fintech projects such as STO and CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency).   This agreement was concluded after active discussions with the UAE Royal Family Office by Bruce Jeong, who serves as the Principal of Middle East Investments. Bruce Jeong also serves as the Chairman of Aiitone.   With the signing of this agreement, the entry of the UAE Royal Family Office into Asia has been confirmed. Officials from the Royal Family Office are planning to visit Korea next month to continue discussions.   An official from the Royal Family Office stated, "Companies and investors in the UAE greatly appreciate the value and potential of the Korean market and are eager to enhance exchanges and cooperation." The official also noted, "We are pleased to observe that non-oil trade between the two countries reached 5.3 billion dollars last year, and positive interactions between the two countries are ongoing this year."   He also expressed his anticipation, saying, "Through our entry into Korea, we will serve as a bridgehead to facilitate closer business development between Korea and the UAE."   An official from aiitone said, “This MOU serves as an opportunity to confirm the interest of the Arab world in block chain fintech." The official also added, "We will make efforts to contribute to the development of both countries in the digital economy and technology sector by actively utilizing our technology in the field of Web 3.0, such as XR, AI, and block chain."   Meanwhile, in January, the UAE government decided to invest USD 30 billion (approximately KRW 40 trillion) in Korea, demonstrating its trust in Korea. On the 6th, the 8th KOREA-UAE Joint Economic Committee was held to establish a long-lasting friendly relationship.    이동희 기자 ([email protected])investment principal royal family korean companies middle east

2023.07.25. 20:55