Pablo Air, a Korean startup specializing in swarm AI aviation and defense platforms, has secured strategic investment from Korean Air. The investment marks a significant partnership aimed at advancing next-generation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology and aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities.

The two companies formalized their partnership on January 23 at Korean Air’s Seosomun headquarters in Seoul, signing a strategic investment agreement focused on joint technology development and commercialization of swarm AI autonomous flight systems and MRO inspection drones.

Korean Air’s decision to invest stems from its assessment that Pablo Air’s swarm AI autonomous flight algorithms, integrated control platforms, and small-to-medium UAV design and operation technologies possess competitive advantages applicable across next-generation drone operations and the broader aviation industry.

The partnership builds on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in October 2024 for “Development of Swarm AI Technology,” which established a framework for joint technology development spanning both defense applications and civilian sectors, including aircraft MRO. This strategic investment translates that earlier agreement into concrete technology and business initiatives, establishing a core partnership for securing leadership in the next-generation UAV market.

Pablo Air and Korean Air’s collaboration has already yielded tangible results. Their jointly developed AI swarm drone-based aircraft exterior inspection system, InspecX, won the CES 2026 Innovation Award in the Drones category, validating the technological synergy between the two companies and demonstrating the solution’s global scalability.

The investment carries particular significance as it represents industry validation of swarm AI technology—a critical capability for next-generation UAVs—confirming both its technical reliability and practical applicability in real-world operations.

Pablo Air has become the first Korean company to reach Level 4 (High Swarming) in the five-stage swarm coordination technology spectrum. The company has conducted multiple military demonstrations in realistic combat operational environments, proving the technology’s battlefield readiness. Beyond defense applications, Pablo Air is expanding swarm drone deployment into aviation inspection, industrial safety, and civilian drone solutions.

“This strategic investment from Korean Air—the company’s first in a technology startup—signifies that Pablo Air’s swarm AI technology has progressed beyond the R&D phase to become operationally viable in actual aviation and defense industry settings,” said Youngjoon Kim, Chairman and Founder of Pablo Air. “Through close collaboration with Korean Air, a global aviation industry leader, we will create new industrial value in next-generation UAVs and aviation drone sectors.”