[Weekly M&A] Megadeals Led by AI and Robotics Accelerate Industrial Restructuring

[Weekly Pitch: VC & M&A]

This is the core briefing on venture investments and M&A for this week, brought to you by News Epoch. (May 15, 2026 – May 22, 2026)

This week, the venture capital (VC) and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market was revitalized, highlighted by large-scale investments in the artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics sectors. In particular, a series of significant investments exceeding 10 billion KRW were announced, proving the market's intense interest in future growth drivers. Strategic investments by large conglomerates and major VCs also continued, showing a growing momentum toward technological innovation.

■ Robotics, Bio, and AI Lead the Market with 'Big Deals' in the 10 Billion KRW Range

Robotics company WIRobotics undoubtedly drew attention by attracting a 95 billion KRW Series B investment. This was the result of recognition for its development capabilities regarding the humanoid robot 'ALLEX', with major domestic investors participating in droves, including JB Investment, Intervest, Hana Ventures, Smilegate Investment, SBVA, NH Investment & Securities, Company K Partners, GU Equity Partners, and FuturePlay. It was an investment reflecting the market's high expectations for the robotics industry.

Cancer immunotherapy R&D company NEX-I successfully concluded a 50 billion KRW Pre-IPO investment. Major institutional investors such as Korea Development Bank (KDB), DS Asset Management, and Intervest participated, highly valuing the potential of the bio sector. Alongside this, display-based AI glass optical module company LetinAR attracted a 27.8 billion KRW Pre-IPO investment from KDB, Daesung Private Equity, and others, gathering expectations for its AI display technology. Construction automation company Xpanner also received a 27 billion KRW Pre-C investment from Korea Investment Partners and KB Investment, garnering attention as a frontrunner to lead the digital transformation of the construction industry.

Robotization platform company Yujin Robot received a 17.3 billion KRW investment from Miele Group's Imanto AG, strengthening its competitiveness in the global market. SNS data analysis company Featuring attracted a 15.3 billion KRW Series B investment from STIC Ventures, Albatross Investment, and others, while brand commerce company Bytelab secured a 10 billion KRW Pre-A investment from Atinum Investment, CJ Olive Young, and others, continuing the streak of large-scale fundraising exceeding 10 billion KRW across various sectors.

■ Active Conglomerate Partnerships and Early-stage Investments in AI, Robotics, and Semiconductors

Strategic investments were active in technology sectors poised to lead future industries, such as AI, robotics, and semiconductors. NAVER Cloud invested in Lomin, a developer of a document AI agent platform, strengthening their AI technology cooperation. Daewoong Pharmaceutical and NAVER jointly invested in the digital-based medical device company TR, seeking to enter the digital healthcare market.

Robotics company AL Robot secured 5 billion KRW from Hyundai Motor Securities, and autonomous driving technology developer Autonomous a2z attracted a 500 million KRW strategic investment from HL Klemove, anticipating synergies with large enterprises. NanoCore, specializing in NCP vacuum deposition for glass substrates and foldable displays, attracted 3 billion KRW, gaining recognition for its semiconductor and display materials technology. Alchera, which provides visual recognition AI technology, secured 2 billion KRW, and Modakbul Energy, offering a heat pump subscription service, received a 700 million KRW seed investment, showcasing the potential in the renewable energy sector.

In addition, AI-native consulting firm Orbit Korea and on-device AI model developer Outofset attracted seed investments from Mashup Ventures, The Ventures, and others, proving the growth trend of the early-stage AI market. Helios, a developer of semiconductor thin-film precision metrology equipment, also received a seed investment from Partners Lounge and others.

■ M&A Market Sees an Intersection of Expectations and Caution

In the M&A market, news broke that Shinwon, a manufacturer of switchboards and electrical automatic control panels, is being acquired by Manho Rope & Wire for 6.2 billion KRW. This is interpreted as a move to expand business and strengthen competitiveness between small and medium-sized enterprises.

Meanwhile, this week also saw a mix of market expectations and concerns surrounding mergers and acquisitions. It was reported that global PEF firm Hillhouse Investment temporarily suspended the acquisition process for IGIS Asset Management and is reviewing the deal. Conversely, the sale of Hyundai Hims promoted by private equity firm J& Private Equity showed signs of success, drawing interest from about ten entities including global PEFs. Additionally, news that China's top delivery company also received a proposal to acquire Baedal Minjok drew widespread attention.

Furthermore, early-stage deep-tech startup accelerator JNP Global secured 5 billion KRW, and fermentation upcycling technology startup Signal Care attracted a 5 billion KRW investment. Sports IP-based lifestyle company Mplo Company and API management and security solution WeBearSoft received early-stage investments from The Ventures and Horizon Investment, respectively. Global sports marketing and management company Eins Hana secured a 100 million KRW seed investment.

[Epoch Point]

This week's VC and M&A market was marked by large-scale investments in the deep-tech sector, centered on AI and robotics technologies. This reflects the market's strong expectations for core technologies that will change the paradigm of future industries. The M&A market was also active, though it is observed that the completion of major deals remains fluid. It is anticipated that industrial restructuring through technological innovation will accelerate, and this is a time when strategic cooperation between large enterprises and startups becomes even more important.