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• Period : 17 Sep., 2025 ~ 23 Sep., 2025

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

Headline

Bone Raises $11.6M Seed to Construct Physical AI Infrastructure Combining Defensetech and Manufacturing Innovation
Korean defensetech startup Bone raises $11.6M seed round led by Third Prime to build autonomous robotics for defense. The Y Combinator alum hit revenue in year one, building “Mass Production of Autonomy” with AI + precision manufacturing in Silicon Valley & Seoul.

Korean Government News

Korea’s COMEUP 2025 Startup Festival Set to Unite Global Innovators Under “Recode the Future” Theme
Korea’s flagship COMEUP 2025 startup festival returns Dec 10-12 under the theme “Recode the Future.” Featuring 35+ global companies including Mercedes-Benz, NVIDIA & Hyundai Motor, with 7 national pavilions and expanded investor matchmaking opportunities.

Latest Funding News

Check out the latest funding news for Korean startups 

Barreleye Secures $10M in Strategic Series A Funding to Advance Ultrasound-based AI Diagnostic Solutions
Barreleye raised $10M in strategic Series A funding from a global healthcare leader to accelerate ultrasound-based AI diagnostic technology development, global clinical validation, and regulatory approvals.

McKinley Rice Secures $8.5M Series A for Global AI Infrastructure Platform
McKinley Rice closes $8.5M Series A for Raidrop, an AI infrastructure platform connecting 500K+ specialists across emerging markets with 50% cost savings on training data.

Mobility AeroTech Startup ADRO Raises $6.85M Series B to Advance AI-Powered Aerodynamic Solutions
Korean mobility startup ADRO raises $6.85M Series B to revolutionize automotive aerodynamics with AI-powered solutions. The company’s body kits improve EV efficiency by 4.6% while achieving 90% revenue from 21 countries

AI Medical Platform CloudHospital Secures Series A, Reaches $5.82M in Total Funding
CloudHospital closed Series A funding, reaching $5.82M total investment from Friend Investment Partners and SJ Investment Partners. The AI medical SaaS platform has onboarded 80 Korean hospitals in 10 months and targets 300+ by 2026.

SpeedFloor Secures Pre-Series A Funding and Partners with MyTruckerPro for US Market Expansion
Korean logistics automation startup SpeedFloor partners with Silicon Valley’s MyTruckerPro to enter the US market. Their automated cargo system cuts loading time from 90 mins to 5 mins while reducing worker injuries. Pre-Series A funded. 

Entertainment IP Platform Suerte Secures Pre-Seed Funding to Expand PMC Model and Global Market Reach
Suerte secures pre-seed funding from ZD Ventures to revolutionize entertainment industry with PMC model. The hybrid IP platform guarantees artist autonomy and IP ownership through horizontal partnerships, aiming to establish new industry standards and expand globally. 

Vibers Raises $753K to Enhance Solutions for Transforming Enterprise Data and Business Processes with AI
Korean AI transformation startup Vibers raises $753K seed round from Kakao Ventures to automate enterprise operations. The ex-Toss, Coupang, AWS team launched Maestro platform, securing clients across beauty, finance & healthcare in just 3 months.

DoubleT Secures Funding to Accelerate Sensor-based AI-Powered Industrial Safety Solutions ‘HAIMDALL’
Korean industrial safety AI startup DoubleT secures funding from Seoul Techno Holdings. Its HAIMDALL solution uses UWB/BLE sensors & predictive AI to prevent workplace accidents at 1/10th the cost of traditional systems—making safety tech accessible to small businesses.

Korean Startup Interview

Meet startups that are striving for global expansion through exclusive interviews

[Korean Startup Interview] StudioMetaK: Leading the Content Industry with AI Video and Virtual Human Technology
Studio Meta K secures $21M Series A funding for AI-powered video production and virtual humans, reducing drama costs to 1/10th while achieving global-quality content. Company targets 2027-28 tech IPO with expanding B2B partnerships.

[Korean Startup Interview] Joomalstory: The Answer to “What Should I Do This Weekend?” for MZ Generation
Joomalstory helps 25-35 office workers find weekend activities through content curation. 130K users, 40% newsletter open rate, seeking $137K seed funding.

[Korean Startup Interview] EHAN Creative: Leading Educational Innovation in the Digital Textbook Era with Generative AI ‘Duwing’
EHAN Creative’s Duwing platform uses generative AI with 93% accuracy to reduce teacher prep time from hours to minutes. With $357K 2024 sales and government partnerships, the startup seeks seed bridge funding.

[Korean Startup Interview] MyIB: Expanding Donations and Business Success Through Matching Gift Platform ‘Give&Match’
MyIB’s Give&Match is Korea’s first matching gift SaaS platform enabling participatory corporate donations. With contracts from Kolmar Holdings and LG Uplus, the startup targets $679M market, seeking Pre-Series A funding.

[Korean Startup Interview] Hypercent: Taking on the Box Office Challenge with Backrooms Horror Co-op Game
Hypercent’s Backroom Company is a horror co-op game with unique storytelling in the Backrooms worldview. With 35M views, 70M subscriber reach, and G-Star award, the startup seeks Pre-Series A funding targeting 1M+ sales.

[Korean Startup Interview] HamadaLabs: Breaking Down AI Technology Barriers with No-Code Platform ‘WindyFlo’
HamadaLabs’ WindyFlo is a no-code LLMOps platform democratizing AI development through drag-and-drop interfaces. With 20K users from 20 countries and enterprise contracts secured, the startup seeks seed funding to expand globally.

Korean Startups winning CES 2026 Innovation Awards

BIOCONNECT Wins CES 2026 Innovation Award for Contactless Vital Sign Measurement Technology
BIOCONNECT received a CES 2026 Innovation Award for VitalTracker, which uses camera-based vision AI to measure vital signs contactlessly. The technology was recognized for its real-world applicability and platform scalability.

SN Display Wins CES 2026 Innovation Award in Imaging Category
SN Display won a CES 2026 Innovation Award for its perovskite color conversion film, which achieves over 95% Rec.2020 color gamut coverage. The technology is compatible with existing manufacturing facilities.

Korean Fintech Startup CrossHub Wins Best of Innovation at CES 2026
CrossHub won the Best of Innovation Award in Fintech at CES 2026. The company’s ‘Financial Passport’ service earned global recognition for combining blockchain-based identity verification with seamless payment solutions for international travelers.