Insider Brief
- Coupang Inc. is working with Texas-based Contoro to deploy AI-powered robotic systems for unloading containers and trailers as part of more than $84 million invested in AI startups since 2023
- The company committed $50 million to the SBVA Korea Sovereign AI Fund, matching Korea Venture Investment Corporation funding to support late-stage AI, robotics and semiconductor companies under South Korea’s “Next Unicorn Project”
- Coupang and Contoro are exploring pilots in Korea and other markets using human-in-the-loop robotic arms to automate unloading in labor-constrained logistics environments
Coupang Inc. announced it is working with Texas-based robotics startup Contoro to deploy AI-powered robotic systems for unloading shipping containers and truck trailers, part of its $84 million in investments in AI tech startups.
According to the U.S.-based Coupang, that investment includes recently committing $50 million to the SBVA Korea Sovereign AI Fund to match a $50 million investment from the Korea Venture Investment Corporation (KVIC), the government-backed agency that anchors South Korea’s venture capital ecosystem. T
he fund is structured to support late-stage and scale-up AI companies, with a mandate tied to the government’s “Next Unicorn Project,” which aims to accelerate the commercialization of advanced technologies and build globally competitive firms in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and semiconductors.
Coupang has also made direct investments in emerging technology companies, including U.S.-based Tempo, a San Francisco startup developing Layer 1 blockchain infrastructure for Stripe, and South Korea–based CMES, which focuses on AI-driven robotics for industrial automation.
Working with Contoro
According to Coupang, it is exploring a pilot program with COntoro at Coupang logistics sites in Korea and other markets, with a focus on integrating Contoro’s systems into high-throughput fulfillment operations. The effort targets one of the most persistent bottlenecks in logistics — container and trailer unloading — where labor shortages and variability in cargo have made automation difficult to scale.
“We’re excited to explore new pathways for Contoro’s global expansion through our collaboration with Coupang, another innovative American tech company that’s also investing in the future of AI and international trade,” Contoro CEO and founder Youngmok “Mok” Yun said in the announcement. “By sharing knowledge and expertise between our companies, we’re focused on bringing our advanced technology to new markets where it can accelerate economic growth between the U.S. and other partner countries.”
Contoro’s robotic arms use a human-in-the-loop model that combines AI with remote operators, allowing the systems to handle a wide range of box sizes, weights and packing conditions. The approach is designed to improve reliability in unstructured environments while maintaining industrial throughput requirements.
Coupang said it is also contributing operational expertise to help adapt the technology for Korean logistics environments, as Contoro looks to expand into Asia.
Coupang noted invested billions in AI, robotics and cloud infrastructure to scale automation across its global logistics network, including significant spending in the Asia-Pacific region. The company’s AI-driven fulfillment system, powered by its in-house Coupang Intelligent Cloud, supports demand forecasting, route optimization and warehouse automation, helping enable more than $5 billion in U.S. goods sales to international markets in 2025.
Image: John Hughes, Head of AI and Innovation Policy at Coupang, and Youngmok “Mok” Yun, CEO and Founder of Contoro. (Credit: Coupang)
