Wearable robotics company Hurotics has secured a Series A funding round of approximately $19 million (KRW 25 billion). The investment was led by Atinum Investment and includes strategic backing from major Korean conglomerates Naver, Lotte, and Daewoong. This funding aims to accelerate the expansion of Hurotics’ medical gait-rehabilitation exosuit, H-Medi, and the development of a wearable physical-AI data platform.

The Series A round brings Hurotics’ cumulative funding to over $25 million. Mirae Asset Venture Investment and existing investors Stonebridge Ventures and IBK also participated in the funding. The company’s focus on wearable robotics and its potential for everyday use, stemming from founder Ki-wook Lee’s research featured in a 2019 Science cover story, is a key driver for this investment. This development is part of a broader deep tech funding rally in Korea, with other startups in areas like AI chips, quantum computing, and EV energy also closing significant rounds.

Hurotics Expands Medical Rehabilitation Technology

Hurotics’ H-Medi exosuit is designed to assist patients with gait rehabilitation. The company plans to leverage the new capital to further develop this technology and explore its application beyond clinical settings. The integration of a wearable physical-AI data platform signifies a move towards collecting and analyzing data from the exosuit to enhance rehabilitation effectiveness and potentially enable broader use cases.

The involvement of strategic investors like Naver, Lotte, and Daewoong suggests a converging interest from Korean conglomerates in wearable robotics as a foundational technology. This trend indicates a belief in wearable robotics not just as individual corporate ventures but as a shared platform for future innovation. The company’s ambition is to transition its soft-exosuit technology from hospital rehabilitation to everyday applications.

Korea’s Deep Tech Sector Sees Strong Investment

Hurotics’ funding round is situated within a vibrant ecosystem of Korean deep tech startups attracting significant investment. AI chip maker DeepX raised $11 million, while quantum computing startup OQT secured approximately $10.6 million in pre-Series A funding. Heat-supply SMR startup RX raised $7.6 million, and commercial EV energy platform PIT IN closed a Series A round of about $9 million, with Hyundai Motor Group’s ZER01NE as a strategic investor. These diverse investments highlight Korea’s commitment to advancing cutting-edge technologies.

Beyond individual company funding, local governments and accelerators are actively supporting the startup landscape. The Gyeonggi Content Agency’s “Level-Up Investment Round” provided roughly $35.7 million to its portfolio companies. The Seoul Business Agency facilitated connections for eight beauty startups aiming for US market entry, with an estimated $1.5 million in potential investment. These initiatives underscore a concerted effort to foster growth and international expansion for Korean startups. This broader investment climate, including areas like concussion detection technology, demonstrates a strong appetite for innovation across various tech sectors.

The investment in Hurotics and the broader deep tech rally in Korea reflect a growing confidence in the nation’s innovation capabilities. The company’s stated goal of building a physical-AI data platform also aligns with the increasing importance of data in refining and expanding the applications of wearable technology, potentially improving wearable fit monitoring systems and other health-related metrics.