NVIDIA Invests in South Korean AI Startups, Four Companies Including Point2Tech Among Recipients

On November 9, according to Yonhap News Agency, NVIDIA and South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT held the "AI Startup Cooperation Forum" at Seoul COEX. NVIDIA announced an investment in Korean AI startup Point2Tech, with plans to make follow-on investments in Motif Technologies, Realworld, and Upstage. More than 20 Korean startups spanning foundation models, physical AI, AI infrastructure, and AI chips participated in the forum.

Point2Tech develops radio frequency (RF) scalable interconnect technology for AI factories, transmitting data between chips and server racks as an alternative to copper cable and optical interconnect solutions, supporting AI clusters' scaling needs in transmission distance, performance, and energy efficiency. Upstage, which focuses on its proprietary large language model Solar and document AI tools, will welcome NVIDIA into the ongoing second closing of its Series C funding, following previous investors such as Amazon and AMD. The company completed the first tranche of its Series C round in April this year, raising 180 billion KRW and achieving a valuation exceeding 1 trillion KRW, making it South Korea's first generative AI unicorn. The funds will be allocated toward model iteration, talent recruitment, and market expansion in the United States and Japan.

Alongside NVIDIA's investment, Motif completed bridge financing and plans to release Motif 4, the successor to Motif 3, in open weights during the first quarter of next year. Motif 3 was developed with support from South Korea's MSIT "Autonomous AI Foundation Model" project, scoring 47 points on the Artificial Analysis Aggregate AI Index (AAII), ranking 10th globally and 4th among open-weight models. Realworld develops a robotics foundation model tailored for humanoids and industrial robots, enabling complex tasks requiring fine five-finger manipulation, such as inserting precision components, tightening bolts, and cutting parts on moving conveyor belts. Through the Inception program, NVIDIA offers discounted pricing, technical resources, and investor introductions to over 1,000 member companies in Korea.