[Weekly M&A] Growth Engines Soaring Amid Uncertainty: AI and Robot Big Deals, Active M&As

[Weekly Pitch: VC & M&A]

This is the core briefing on venture investments and M&As for this week presented by News Epoch. (2026.03.27 ~ 2026.04.03)

This week, domestic and overseas capital markets saw prominent growth in major technology sectors despite macroeconomic uncertainty. Although the domestic stock market showed volatility due to a surge in international oil prices and instability in the won-dollar exchange rate, explosive growth in semiconductor exports and investments in new technology fields such as AI and robotics continued steadily. In particular, large-scale investment attractions and active mergers and acquisitions between companies unfolded, breathing vitality into the market. However, due to the unstable market conditions, changes in investment methods were also detected, such as an increase in convertible bond issuance rather than direct equity investment.

■ Big Deals and Movements of Major Players

In the investment market this week, AI semiconductor company Rebellions undeniably drew attention by securing a 640 billion won pre-IPO investment. With Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Korea Development Bank, and the National Growth Fund participating, the deal brought the enterprise value of Rebellions to 3.4 trillion won. Wearable robot developer WIRobotics also proved the potential of the robotics sector by attracting a 100 billion won Series B investment. AI semiconductor design company Mobilint concluded a 70 billion won Series C investment, setting out to strengthen its full-stack competitiveness. In the M&A market, a large-scale deal was struck where PEF OneLake acquired Joyfood, known for its 'Yonsei Cream Bread,' for approximately 100 billion won. Meanwhile, Korea Investment & Securities set out to secure future growth engines by reviewing the acquisition of a stake in digital asset exchange Coinone, and OpenAI appears to be expanding its influence in direct public opinion formation by acquiring the famous US IT podcast TBPN. On the government policy front, the National Pension Service raised expectations for revitalizing the venture ecosystem by easing the ban on concurrent venture fund operations and announcing a 400 billion won capital contribution. In the global market, SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, is reportedly known to have confidentially filed IPO documents with a target corporate value of 2 trillion dollars, drawing the attention of the capital market.

■ Promising Sectors: The Leap of AI, Robotics, and Semiconductor Technologies

Investment enthusiasm in AI, robotics, and semiconductors, the promising sectors leading the market, has not cooled down. In particular, semiconductor exports surged by more than 200% year-on-year, establishing themselves as a powerful growth engine for the Korean economy. AI character chatting platform operator Warpspace received a 4.3 billion won Series A investment, and conversational AI platform Rapiche also attracted a 1.5 billion won follow-on investment. On-device AI-based wearable solution company Linkflow also attracted investment, showing the potential for lifestyle-integrated applications of AI technology. Plaif, which develops industrial robot control AI software, is expected to accelerate the establishment of a mass-production system by attracting a 13.9 billion won investment. In the semiconductor materials sector, next-generation power semiconductor materials company IVWorks attracted a 6 billion won pre-IPO investment, and EV-related electronic materials manufacturer Wilco received investment from Doosan Investment, contributing to strengthening the competitiveness of core materials in future industries. Meissa, which utilizes spatial information AI technology, also attracted investment from Timefolio Asset Management, securing a cumulative investment of 37 billion won.

■ Major Deals in M&A, Healthcare, and Finance

In the M&A market, the largest shareholder of mobile communication terminal parts manufacturer RFTech was changed in a 47 billion won deal, and apparel export specialist Ontide was acquired by Yakjin Trading for 38.7 billion won, signaling a reorganization of the fashion industry. Medical aesthetics specialist Koru Pharma was also acquired by Life Capital. Meanwhile, rumors surfaced about Uber pushing to acquire Kakao Mobility, but Kakao Mobility dismissed it as 'groundless.' Active investment attraction continued in the bio and healthcare sectors as well. Artificial platelet developer DuCell Biotherapeutics received a 23.5 billion won Series C investment, and medical AI company MediWhale attracted a 20 billion won Series C investment with its cardiovascular disease prediction program through retinal imaging. MediThinQ, which provides medical XR wearable display solutions, also received a 15 billion won Series C investment, raising expectations for the growth of the digital healthcare market. Cenix BioTech, a developer of diagnostic and therapeutic nanocomposite materials, attracted a 12.5 billion won Series B investment, and early dementia diagnosis and treatment solution partner N-Cer attracted a 1 billion won pre-B investment, respectively. In addition, V1C, which operates financial management and funding solutions for businesses, received a 13.4 billion won pre-A investment, and unlisted stock trading platform Seoul Exchange embarked on business expansion through a 6.5 billion won capital increase. Smart city infrastructure builder for the visually impaired Dot received a 4.3 billion won investment, and inner beauty brand 'SOROH' operator EatUs attracted seed investment.

[Epoch Point]

This week's capital market demonstrated that core technology sectors such as AI, robotics, and semiconductors have established themselves as solid growth engines even amid macroeconomic uncertainty. In particular, large-scale technology investments and strategic M&As indicate companies' determination to take the lead in future industries. However, the decrease in equity investments and the increase in convertible bond issuance reflect investors' conservative attitudes and preference for risk management, requiring continuous observation of the market's future fund flows.