Korea’s DEEPX, Hyundai Deepen AI Robot Push Ahead of IPO Plans
Seoul — South Korean AI chip startup DEEPX is expanding its partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to develop a computing platform for generative AI-powered robots, as it prepares for a potential initial public offering, its chief executive said.
Chief Executive Lokwon Kim said DEEPX is in discussions with government bodies and investors to raise more than 600 billion won ($408 million) in a funding round ahead of a planned listing in South Korea.
The company began producing chips late last year and is positioning itself among emerging domestic firms aligned with Seoul’s push to build global competitiveness in artificial intelligence.Founded by a former Apple Inc. engineer, DEEPX develops neural processing units designed to handle AI workloads directly on devices without reliance on cloud connectivity.
Its chips are already being used in delivery robots developed by Hyundai.The expanded collaboration will see Hyundai deploy DEEPX’s second-generation DX-M2 chips in a new robotics platform. The chips are expected to enter mass production next year using advanced 2-nanometer manufacturing technology from Samsung Electronics.
Kim said the low-power design of DEEPX’s processors could address overheating challenges in energy-intensive humanoid robots, particularly those running generative AI models capable of learning from real-world interactions.“Our next-generation chips are optimized for generative AI, which, like ChatGPT, will enable robots to learn from their experiences,” Kim said in an interview.
Hyundai, which unveiled its Atlas humanoid robot earlier this year, is targeting large-scale production and aims to build a facility capable of manufacturing up to 30,000 robot units annually by 2028.Hyun Dong-jin, head of Hyundai’s Robotics Lab, said the partnership with DEEPX is part of a broader strategy to establish an ecosystem of on-device AI computing partners both domestically and internationally.
DEEPX’s current chips are significantly more energy-efficient and cost-competitive compared with products such as Nvidia’s Jetson Orin platform, according to the company.Beyond Hyundai, DEEPX counts Baidu Inc. among its customers and is targeting revenue of $40 million this year.
Chief Financial Officer Young Cho said the company’s priority remains a domestic stock market listing, though a secondary US listing via American Depositary Receipts could be considered at a later stage.
