[Korean Startup Weekly News #76] PRENEU Raises $11M in Pre-IPO Round to Advance Drone Product Development

7/13/2025

・

Catch up on last week’s top stories from the startup ecosystem in the Korean Startup Weekly News.

Headline

PRENEU Raises $11M in Pre-IPO Round to Advance Drone Product Development and Scale Up Production
PRENEU raised $11M in pre-IPO funding to advance drone development and production, aiming for a KOSDAQ listing and global market expansion with its new ARK MODULE.

Record-Breaking Global Interest in Korea’s K-Startup Grand Challenge 2025
Korea’s K-Startup Grand Challenge 2025 saw record global interest with 2,626 applicants. This surge highlights the success of proactive policies attracting foreign startups.

Check out the latest funding news for Korean startups

AeiROBOT Raises $7.2M Series A to Lead Global Humanoid Robotics Innovation
AeiROBOT, a Korean humanoid robotics startup, raised $7.2M in Series A funding to scale its ALICE platform, earning global recognition and support from NVIDIA and major investors.

Beyond Honeycomb Raises $7.2M in Series A Bridge to Scale AI Cooking Robots Production and Expand Globally
Beyond Honeycomb raised $7.2M in Series A bridge funding to scale production and expand globally with its AI cooking robot, GRILL X, starting in North America.

K-Beauty Startup Mimibox Secures $6.5M in Funding to Fuel Global Expansion
Mimibox, a Korean K-beauty startup, raised $6.5M (KRW 10.5B) to expand U.S. retail partnerships and enter Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe, with a cumulative $227M raised.

ResetCompany Secures $3.6 Million in Series B Funding for Waste Panel Recycling Robots
ResetCompany raised $3.6 million USD in Series B to enhance waste panel recycling robots and build a nanoparticle extraction laser research center.

Solarstic Gains Backing from FIND-US, 500 Global to Expand Solar Module Solutions
Solarstic, a Korean startup spun out of Hyundai, secured seed funding to develop lightweight solar modules for vehicles and buildings, targeting emerging markets like VIPV and BAPV.

Achievemoment Secures Seed Funding to Transform HR with AI and Data
Achievemoment, an AI-driven HR startup, raised seed funding from The Invention Lab and joined Korea’s TIPS program to develop data-powered tools for recruitment and talent growth.

NEWOFF Raises Seed Funding from FuturePlay for Secondhand Clothing Buyback Service
NEWOFF, a Korean startup, raised seed funding from FuturePlay to streamline secondhand clothing sales with free pickups, individual inspections, and quick cash settlements.

Greyd, a Video Review Social Commerce Platform, Attracts Investment from CNTTECH
Greyd, a video review social commerce platform, secured investment from CNTTECH. It uses AI to provide reliable reviews, helping consumers and brands, and has shown significant growth.

Meet startups that are striving for global expansion through exclusive interviews

[Korean Startup Interview] BS ONE Dominates Korean Ceramic Saggars Market for Battery Cathode Production
BS ONE crafts high-performance saggars for EV batteries, targeting USD 357M market by 2026. Supplies Posco Future M, plans LFP and recycling expansion.

[Korean Startup Interview] ASTAR, Marketing AI ‘AVICA’ Certified by Major Corporations… Expanding to SMEs and Global Markets
ASTAR raises USD 0.29M seed funding for AVICA, slashing marketing time by 99.5%. Targets USD 35.71B market, aiming for SaaS launch and global expansion in AI-driven CRM solutions.

ZD Ventures Invests Seed Funding in Shield Security for B2B Export Payment Innovation Based on Stablecoins
ZD Ventures invested seed funding in Shield Security, a stablecoin-based B2B export payment platform, highlighting its tech, growth potential, and global expansion plans in Latin America.

Toss Lab Partners with Vision Inc. to Accelerate JANDI’s Expansion in Japan
Toss Lab and Vision Inc. deepen their partnership to expand JANDI AI in Japan. Vision Inc. utilizes JANDI AI for internal solutions and is integrating it into their AI transformation.

Autonomous a2z Partners with Grab to Launch Autonomous Driving Service in Downtown Singapore
Autonomous a2z and Grab launched a 24-seater autonomous shuttle in Singapore, fostering job creation and evaluating safety in Southeast Asia.