Insider Brief
- South Korean robotics startup Diden Robotics is seeking to raise about $65 million in a Series A-type round to mass-produce its Diden Spider quadruped robot, ChosunBiz reported.
- The company is seeking a pre-money valuation of about $259 million and plans to use the funds to build a robot factory in Dongtan, South Korea, while continuing development of a future bipedal robot.
- Diden Spider is designed for shipyard work, using electromagnetic legs to move through ship compartments, attach to hulls, perform welding and support nondestructive testing, with pilots reportedly conducted with South Korea’s three largest shipbuilders.
South Korean robotics startup Diden Robotics is seeking to raise about $65 million in a new funding round as it prepares to mass-produce its quadruped industrial robot, ChosunBiz reported.
The round is expected to be a Series A and comes about 10 months after Diden raised about $5 million in pre-Series A funding. ChosunBiz reported the company had initially planned to seek roughly $32 million but increased the target to more than $65 million after drawing attention from investors and robotics industry partners.
Diden is seeking the funding at a pre-money valuation of about $259 million, according to the report. If completed at the targeted size, the company’s post-money valuation would rise to roughly $324 million.
The company plans to use the funds to build a robot factory in Dongtan, Gyeonggi Province, mass-produce its Diden Spider robot and continue research and development on a future bipedal robot model, ChosunBiz reported, citing a company representative.
Diden Spider is a four-legged robot designed for shipyard work. The robot uses electromagnetic feet to move through ship compartments and attach to metal hulls. It is designed to perform welding and can also carry ultrasonic inspection equipment for nondestructive testing.
The robot drew wider attention after appearing at Nvidia’s GTC conference in March, where it was presented as an example of physical AI. Diden also appeared at GTC Taipei this month. The company is an Nvidia Inception member and part of Nvidia’s physical AI ecosystem.
Investor interest has been helped by pilots with South Korea’s three major shipbuilders, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean, according to the report. Diden is also said to be receiving inquiries from shipbuilders in Europe.
ChosunBiz noted the fundraising could still face resistance over valuation. Some investors reportedly view Diden’s technology and market opportunity favorably but are cautious about the company’s attempt to raise a large Series A at a valuation approaching $259 million.
Diden Robotics was founded in 2024 by Kim Jun-ha, who earned a doctorate from KAIST’s Humanoid Robot Research Center, along with colleagues from the lab.
Image credit: Diden Robotics
