Insider Brief
- Upstage, a South Korean AI company specializing in large language models (LLMs) and Document AI, has raised $72 million in Series B funding, bringing its total funding to over $100 million since its inception in October 2020, making it the most-funded AI software company in South Korea.
- The funding round included major investors such as SK Networks, KT, and Korea Development Bank, along with continued support from existing backers like SBVA.
- With the new funding, Upstage plans to accelerate the development of specialized LLMs tailored for global enterprises and has expanded its operations with a new office in San Jose, California.
PRESS RELEASE — SAN JOSE, Calif./April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Upstage, a pioneering AI company specializing in large language models (LLMs) and Document AI, today announced that it has raised $72 million in a Series B. With this latest investment, Upstage has now raised over $100 million since its founding in October 2020, making it the most-funded South Korean AI software company in history.
“We’re thrilled to extend our strong success in South Korea to a global audience,” said Sung Kim, co-founder and CEO of Upstage. “This funding will help us build the world’s best generative AI model and deliver the ultimate ‘AGI for work’ solution to businesses worldwide.”
Upstage’s flagship Solar LLM has earned acclaim for its lightning-fast performance and unparalleled cost-efficiency, powered by its unique Depth-Up Scaling (DUS) technique. The state-of-the-art model has already delivered use cases across leading enterprises in many industrial domains. Available via on-premises as well as API integration through platforms like Amazon SageMaker JumpStart, Solar provides a versatile and accessible alternative to larger, more resource-intensive models developed by tech giants.
The company has also made significant inroads with its Document AI solution, powered by top-of-the-line OCR technology. This solution has found strong demand in high-growth industries like finance and healthcare, with clients including Samsung and Hanwha.
The financing will enable Upstage to accelerate the development of purpose-trained LLMs for global enterprises, as the company expands its reach with a new office in San Jose, California.
The Series B round was led by a group of prominent investors, including SK Networks, KT, Korea Development Bank, Shinhan Venture Investment, Hana Ventures, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, and Industrial Bank of Korea. Existing investors, such as SBVA (formerly SoftBank Ventures Asia), Primer Sazze Partners, Company K Partners, and Premier Partners, also participated in the round, reaffirming their confidence in Upstage’s vision and capabilities.
About Upstage
Founded in October 2020, Upstage boosts work efficiency with industry-leading document processing engines and large-language models (LLMs). Our flagship product Solar LLM delivers GPT-4-level performance with an unparalleled speed and cost-efficiency. Available via on-premises as well as API integration through platforms like Amazon SageMaker JumpStart, Solar provides a versatile and accessible alternative to larger, more resource-intensive models developed by tech giants. Furthermore, our Document AI solution leverages AI-powered OCR (optical character recognition) technology to automate workflows and process unstructured data, reducing operational costs and streamlining operations for our clients.
PR Contact
Sungbeom Bae: [email protected]
