AI road repair robot developer Rovoroad announced that it has attracted a USD 153,846 (KRW 200 million) seed round investment from SNU Holdings. This investment, based on confidence in Rovoroad’s technology and business vision, is expected to accelerate technology demonstration and commercialization efforts.

Rovoroad is a startup developing an ‘unmanned road pavement maintenance platform’ that combines an AI-based road pavement monitoring and decision-making system with autonomous repair robots. It significantly enhances the efficiency and safety of road management by detecting road damage in real-time and automatically repairing it with unmanned robots.

The company’s strengths include multimodal road pavement analysis AI technology for real-time detection and measurement of damage such as cracks, potholes, and deformation. It also features unmanned repair robots that automatically repair detected road damage, reducing repair time and cost compared to manual work. Furthermore, it offers data-driven maintenance optimization, integrating real-time data collection and analysis for emergency repairs and long-term repaving decisions, thereby improving road safety and budget efficiency.

Currently, Rovoroad is participating in the Jeju RISE (Regional Innovation System & Education) project, preparing for road repair robot demonstration and data advancement in the Jeju road environment. Simultaneously, it has been selected for the Venture Camp program organized by the Korea Technology Finance Corporation, where it is pursuing technology commercialization strategy establishment and investment attraction capability enhancement. This investment from SNU Holdings is expected to significantly support these ongoing demonstrations and commercialization activities, driving technology advancement and commercialization.

Namho Kim, CEO of Rovoroad, stated, “The investment from SNU Holdings acknowledges Rovoroad’s technology and vision. Based on our participation in the Jeju RISE demonstration and KiBO Venture Camp, we will accelerate the commercialization of AI autonomous road repair robots and expand into domestic and international markets.”

Seunghwan Mok, CEO of SNU Holdings, commented, “Potholes and road damage continue to cause accidents, resulting in enormous social costs. We decided to invest, judging that Rovoroad’s AI-based prediction technology and efficient repair technology through unmanned robots can dramatically reduce social opportunity costs by preventing road accidents in advance.”