Bone AI raises $12M to challenge Asia’s defense giants with AI-powered robotics

South Korea’s large defence giants person amassed astir $69 cardinal successful bid backlogs arsenic of precocious 2024, according to media reports. Seoul is besides accelerating concern successful precocious weapons systems and expanding its defence ties, peculiarly with Europe. With the caller EU–South Korea Security and Defence Partnership successful 2024 and increasing exports of vehicles and artillery, the state has go the second-largest arms supplier to European NATO members.

Yet contempt that tremendous concern footprint, remarkably fewer startups person emerged to lucifer oregon situation the incumbents. The country’s defense-tech startup country is inactive nascent, exposing a wide spread betwixt Korea’s manufacturing spot and its early-stage innovation.

Bone AI, a caller startup based successful Seoul and Palo Alto, California, launched earlier this twelvemonth with an ambitious program to physique a afloat unified AI level that ties unneurotic software, hardware, and manufacturing.

The institution develops next-generation autonomous aerial (UAVs), crushed (UGVs) and marine (USVs) vehicles for defence and authorities clients, focusing mostly connected B2G contracts. While it yet aims to run each 3 types of systems, Bone is starting with its defense-focused aerial drones, which are designed to streamline missions specified arsenic logistics support, wildfire detection and anti-drone defense.

The company, founded by DK Lee (who besides co-founded MarqVision), has raised a $12 effect circular led by Third Prime with information from Kolon Group, a South Korean strategical capitalist that has expertise successful processing precocious materials and manufacturing. Kolon is an perfect strategical spouse for Bone, which operates crossed AI, robotics and next-generation manufacturing, Lee said successful an exclusive interrogation with TechCrunch.

The startup is already generating revenue, landing a seven-figure B2G declaration and pulling successful $3 cardinal successful its archetypal twelvemonth of operation, Lee noted. In addition, Bone has been selected arsenic a victor successful a South Korean government-backed end-to-end logistics programme that volition deploy UAVs and UGVs powered by its autonomy stack.

When asked however a institution little than a twelvemonth aged is already securing contracts and generating revenue, Lee told TechCrunch that Bone acquired a South Korean drone institution called D-Makers, and its intelligence property (IP) conscionable six months aft launch. Originally focused connected AI models for robotics, Bone is present integrating its existing AI part with the recently acquired company, and much acquisitions are connected the horizon, helium added.

Lee personally committed much than 10% of the round, astir $1.5 million, helium told TechCrunch. “That was important to maine due to the fact that I wanted to amusement some investors and my squad that I’m afloat invested, financially and emotionally, successful this mission,” helium said.