[Korean Startup Weekly News #109] Autonomous A2Z Raises $27.2M in Pre-IPO Round

3/15/2026

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

Headline

Autonomous A2Z Raises $27.2M in Pre-IPO Round, Sets Sights on Kosdaq Debut
Autonomous A2Z closes $27.2M pre-IPO round, pushing total funding to $82.3M — the most raised by any Korean autonomous driving startup. Kosdaq IPO targeted for 2026.

Korea Opens Applications for 2026 Program Pairing SMEs with Global Corporations
South Korea’s MSS opens applications for its 2026 Corporate Partnership for Overseas Expansion Program, linking SMEs with major corporations to accelerate global growth. $11.35M allocated.

Check out the latest funding news for Korean startups

ROKIT Healthcare Raises $41.9M from Global Funds to Push Organ Regeneration Platform Worldwide
Seoul’s ROKIT Healthcare raises $41.9M (₩62.5B) from Weiss Asset Management, Oasis Management, PAG & LMR Partners to advance its AI-powered organ regeneration platform globally.

MUSTBIO Raises $23.5M Series C to Push Immuno-Oncology Pipeline Into the Clinic
Korean immuno-oncology startup MUSTBIO raised $23.5M in Series C, valuing the company at $39.6M pre-money. Backers include Korea Investment Partners, Atinum Investment & BNH Investment.

ARK, AI Chronic Disease Screening Startup, Raises $13.7M to Expand Clinics and Pursue Regulatory Approvals
South Korea’s ARK raises $13.7M (20B KRW) in Series A to scale its AI-powered chronic disease complication screening platform across clinics nationwide and into global markets.

Korean Physical AI Startup XYZ Raises $8.73M Series B to Push Humanoid Robots Into Offices and Homes
Korean physical AI startup XYZ closes $8.73M Series B backed by Kolon Investment, Yuanta & CRIT Ventures to scale its BarisBrew barista robot and Deux humanoid lineup.

‘Refilled’ Raises $7.46M to Advance Scalp Care Technology and Fuel Global Expansion
Korean scalp care brand Refilled raises $7.46M to expand globally. Backed by Amorepacific & Korea Investment Partners, the AI-powered routine care startup targets North America, Japan & Southeast Asia.

Virtual Entertainment Startup ‘SCON’ Raises $5.13M to Expand Virtual IP Universe and Go Global
South Korea’s virtual entertainment startup SCON raises $5.13M Series A to expand its roster of 40+ virtual IPs into games, webtoons, AI chatbots, and global markets.

Korean Motor Startup eflow Lands Strategic Investment from Auto Parts Giant Sungwoo Hitech
Korean motor startup eflow, maker of award-winning AFPM motors, closes strategic investment from auto parts giant Sungwoo Hitech to push into humanoid robots and industrial actuators.

Multimodal AI Startup ‘ACTIONPOWER’ Raises $4.1M Series B to Accelerate Global Expansion and B2B Growth
South Korea’s ACTIONPOWER raises $4.1M Series B led by Hana Ventures to expand its multimodal AI workflow platform globally. Total funding now exceeds $13.7M.

Khameleon Raises Pre-Seed Round to Bring Humanoid Robots to Hotel Housekeeping
Silicon Valley humanoid startup Khameleon closes pre-seed round backed by Bass Ventures, Naver D2SF & Mashup Ventures — building robots that handle full hotel room cleaning, end to end.

Meet startups that are striving for global expansion through exclusive interviews

[Korean Startup Interview] UBITAS Biotech: Pioneering Next-Generation Protein Degradation Technology to Transform Cancer Treatment
UBITAS Biotech is pioneering Protea-Tac, a first-in-class protein degradation platform that eliminates disease-causing proteins without ubiquitin, achieving proven anti-cancer results.

[Korean Startup Interview] BioArchers: Revolutionizing Oral Drug Delivery with NanoLink™ Platform Technology
BioArchers develops NanoLink™, an oral drug delivery platform using mesoporous silica nanoparticles to transform injectable peptide drugs like GLP-1 into once-weekly oral treatments with dramatically improved bioavailability.