AI-based cybersecurity firm AI SPERA, located in South Korea, has successfully raised 12 billion KRW (approximately 9 million USD), pushing its total funding to date to 23 billion KRW (approximately 17.2 million USD).

This investment round was spearheaded by KB Investment and saw contributions from JB Investment, Kyobo Life Insurance, and Smilegate Investment. These investors recognized AI SPERA’s technological strength within the cybersecurity market, particularly noting its potential to expand its global market share and brand recognition.

The round was also bolstered by strategic investments from major tech companies NHN and Netmarble, along with personal investments from NCsoft’s CEO Taek Jin Kim and director Song Yi Yoon. Another significant endorsement came from co-founder Professor Hwi Kang Kim of Korea University’s Graduate School of Information Security, the first hacker-turned-professor in Korea, adding substantial credibility.

AI SPERA provides ‘Criminal IP,’ an integrated security solution that leverages Attack Surface Management (ASM) and Threat Intelligence (TI) to deliver real-time risk analysis and vulnerability information. This model, which has been pioneered in Korea, follows the subscription-based security service (SECaaS, Security as a Service) format popular among leading global cybersecurity companies like Google’s Mandiant and Recorded Future.

Currently, ‘Criminal IP’ enjoys a broad user base, including government agencies, financial institutions, and large corporations across approximately 150 countries, praised for its high quality and ease of use. Its subscription model, which requires no staff deployment or installation, has consistently driven up its Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), showcasing strong financial growth.

Seunghwan Kim, a director at KB Investment who led this funding round, stated, “AI SPERA’s ‘Criminal IP’ has already generated significant revenue internationally through its SaaS subscription model, and we believe in its potential to become a recognized global security company.”

AI SPERA’s CEO, Byung-tak Kang, commented, “With this new capital, we plan to aggressively enhance our AI capabilities and expand our market presence overseas, aiming for an IPO within the next three years. We are eager to prove that Korea, known as an IT powerhouse, has teams capable of competing on the global cybersecurity stage and to promote the competitiveness of Korean security technology worldwide.”