As robotics continues to evolve, industries across the globe are increasingly deploying robots to minimize monotonous tasks and boost overall efficiency. In 2023 alone, more than 540,000 industrial robots were installed worldwide, raising the total of active industrial robots to over four million. Yet despite these advances, industrial robotics still struggle with precision tasks, particularly when handling delicate materials or adapting swiftly to unpredictable environments. This limitation means a significant amount of industrial processes continue to rely heavily on human labor.
Aiming to address this challenge is RLWRLD, a South Korean startup emerging from stealth mode with a specialized foundational AI model tailored solely to robotics. By integrating large language models (LLMs) with traditional robot operating software, RLWRLD says its technology empowers robots to move with speed and agility while executing more sophisticated logical decision-making skills.
Jung-Hee Ryu, RLWRLD’s founder and CEO, explained that the foundation model could completely automate processes currently dependent on manual labor, replicating human expertise and significantly improving workplace efficiency. To accelerate its ambitions, RLWRLD announced it had raised approximately $14.8 million (21 billion Korean won) in seed funding led by Hashed. Additional investors joining the funding round include Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Global Brain, and several prominent strategic backers such as Japan’s Ana Group, PKSHA, Mitsui Chemical, Shimadzu, and KDDI; South Korea’s LG Electronics and SK Telecom; and India’s Amber Manufacturing.
Ryu indicated the seed funds would primarily finance proof-of-concept projects in collaboration with the company’s strategic investors, purchase critical computing infrastructure such as graphics processing units (GPUs), acquire robots for research and experiments, aggregate substantial volumes of data, and expand its team by recruiting top-tier AI and robotics researchers. Furthermore, RLWRLD is actively developing highly dexterous robotic movements involving five-fingered manipulation—a capability that remains unavailable from competitors like Tesla, Figure AI, or 1X, according to Ryu.
Collaborating with strategic investors, the startup is also preparing humanoid autonomous action demonstrations scheduled later this year. Additionally, RLWRLD is constructing a versatile robotic platform designed to accommodate various types of robots, including industrial units, collaborative bots, autonomous mobile machines, and humanoids.
This latest venture is Ryu’s third startup initiative. His previous project, Olaworks, was successfully acquired by Intel in 2012 and subsequently evolved into Intel Korea’s R&D center focused on computer vision technology. In 2015, Ryu co-founded the deep-tech startup accelerator Future Play, fostering innovation in South Korea’s tech ecosystem.
Before starting RLWRLD, Ryu had conducted extensive discussions with over 30 AI academics from Korea and Japan, identifying their shared obstacles such as insufficient infrastructure, resource shortages, and a reticence around launching entrepreneurial efforts. Noticing an absence of AI-focused startups in Korea and Japan compared to the thriving scenes in the U.S., Europe, and China, he decided that strategically, it made sense to concentrate on robotics foundation models (RFMs), capitalizing on Japan’s and Korea’s manufacturing strength.
Bringing together six professors and leading researchers from top-tier South Korean institutions like KAIST, Seoul National University (SNU), and POSTECH, Ryu subsequently established RLWRLD in 2024.
While other startups like Skild AI, Physical Intelligence, and tech giants like Tesla, Google DeepMind, and Nvidia have begun to build foundational models targeting robotics, Ryu argues his startup enjoys key advantages. Unlike competitors typically constrained to lower degrees-of-freedom robotic systems, for instance, two-fingered grippers, RLWRLD has acquired advanced reference robots featuring higher degrees of freedom, which Ryu says will ensure superior results.
Equally important is the strategic advantage presented by its investor network, allowing RLWRLD quick access to valuable site-specific data. According to recent data, Japan and South Korea combined accounted for 9.2% of global manufacturing production in 2024, underlining the substantial market opportunities available for RLWRLD’s technology.
As the company enters its next stage of development, RLWRLD plans to generate early revenue through targeted proof-of-concept projects and demonstration collaborations within the year. Ultimately, its longer-term strategy focuses on servicing factories, logistics hubs, retail operations, and eventually extending its technology into domestic environments where robots could manage routine household chores. Positioned firmly toward industrial customers initially, RLWRLD expects to find willing buyers in a market eager to embrace automation solutions.
Presently, the Seoul-based firm employs thirteen staff members, all working to translate its innovative vision for robotics into reality.
