MakinaRocks , an industry-specific AI company, announced on the 3rd that it has received preliminary approval from the Korea Exchange for a KOSDAQ listing. The company plans to proceed with follow-up procedures with its lead underwriter, Mirae Asset Securities, and pursue an IPO within the first half of 2026.
MakinaRocks explained that passing this preliminary review officially recognized its technological prowess and business scalability. In a technology evaluation conducted last November, it received an A grade from both NICE D&B and Icredible, achieving an overall AA rating.
Founded in December 2017, MakinaRocks provides vertical AI solutions specialized in the manufacturing and defense sectors. Initially, Applied Ventures, LG, SK, and Naver participated in the company's Series A investment round. Since then, the company has secured a total of KRW 53 billion in funding, primarily from strategic investors such as GS, Samsung, POSCO, and Hanwha.
Based on a business structure that connects strategic investors with actual customers, the company has supplied over 100 vertical AI solutions to manufacturing companies such as Doosan, Samsung, Hyundai, Hyosung, LG, GS, and SK, as well as defense agencies such as the Agency for Defense Development and the Navy's 1st Fleet Command. Based on this, the company announced that it will more than double its order intake by 2025 compared to the previous year.
MakinaRocks' core technology is its proprietary AI operating system, Runway. This platform supports the entire AI model lifecycle, from development to deployment and operation, and is designed to ensure stable operation even in highly secure, closed-network environments. Building on this foundation, the company is expanding its AI transformation initiatives beyond manufacturing to diverse industries, including defense and finance.
Currently, MakinaRocks is participating as a member of the Ministry of Science and ICT's Independent Foundation Model Project elite team and as a representative company of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Manufacturing AX Alliance. The company plans to focus the funds raised through its IPO on advancing its Runway technology and entering the global market.
CEO Yoon Seong-ho stated that this preliminary review approval is a recognition of the company's technological prowess and business performance to date, and that the company will focus on strengthening its competitiveness in the manufacturing and defense sectors and expanding the global vertical AI market in the future.
- See more related articles
You must be logged in to post a comment.