Best Auto Tech Companies in South Korea
The 269 best Auto Tech companies in South Korea in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: SK On.
South Korea's Auto Tech sector has a funding story worth reading carefully: 269 companies tracked, $4.1 billion in total disclosed capital, and one unicorn sitting at the top. This directory ranks the best Auto Tech companies in South Korea by disclosed equity funding and recent momentum, so you can see where the real capital concentration sits before you read a single pitch deck.
Kakao Mobility leads at $989 million, which is a different order of magnitude from everyone else in the cohort. SK On follows at $1.7 billion, and honestly those two filers alone account for the bulk of the sector's weight. The remaining names, RideFlux, Nota, Ettifos, Autonomous A2G, show a long tail of smaller bets. What's pulling fresh attention here? EV battery technology and next-generation EV platforms are the dominant themes, and app-layer momentum backs that up: median install growth across automotive and industrial automation apps is running at roughly 22% year-over-year across 552 tracked titles. As one recent industry profile of a global Auto Tech builder shows, the firms that scale are the ones that commit early to EV powertrain depth. Korea's most active investors, DSC Investment, Korean Development Bank, and Korea Investment Holdings, appear to have read that memo.
Our analysis of 223 Auto Tech companies
$72.2b in tracked funding; 88% of the stack-profiled cohort runs cloud-native; funding activity peaked in 2025.
Ranked: Best Auto Tech companies in South Korea
| # | Company | Disclosed funding | Last round | Employees | Founder | Tech stack | App-install YoY | Market signals (1y) | Patents & IP focus | Recent signals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SK On Provider of energy and chemical products, including batteries and lubricants | $1.7B | 35 mo ago | 2,889 | Jee Dong Seob CEO | Windows ServerMicrosoft ASP.NETIIS+2 | — | 19 signals ▼32% Contracts · Capital raise · Announcements | — | 1 launch |
| 2 | Kakao Mobility 🦄 Provider of technology-driven mobility services including taxi, ride-hailing, and navigation | $989M | 14 mo ago | 950 | Kim Beom-soo Co-Founder | SentryNode.jsTailwind CSS+17 | +12% | — | 74 patents AI-driven autonomous vehicle navigation, sensor calibration, and traffic flow prediction systems. | — |
| 3 | T Map Mobility Provider of mobility services, including navigation, ride hailing, and data solutions 40Funding top 32%Patents top 35%Customers top 37%Innovation top 38% All 12 signals ▾Fundingtop 32% Patentstop 35% Customerstop 37% Innovationtop 38% Moattop 38% Techtop 43% Producttop 47% Talentbottom 49% Growthbottom 40% Globalbottom 36% Newsbottom 32% Marketbottom 28% Funding: Raised $150M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 5 yrs (0.2/yr) Patents: 16 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 16 filings since 2022 vs 0 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 40/100 | $150M | 45 mo ago | — | 종호 CEO | TurbopackNode.jsEnvoy+13 | +16% | — | 16 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | — |
| 4 | StradVision Developer of AI-based perception software for autonomous driving and advanced systems | $137M | 46 mo ago | 320 | Bongjin Jun Founder | Apple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365PHP+15 | — | 3 signals ▲50% Announcements · IPO | 801 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | 1 job opening |
| 5 | 42dot Technologies Developer of software-defined vehicle technology and autonomous mobility solutions 80Patents top 13%Innovation top 18%Market top 28%Moat top 29% All 11 signals ▾Patentstop 13% Innovationtop 18% Markettop 28% Moattop 29% Fundingtop 32% Globaltop 32% Newstop 36% Producttop 36% Partnerstop 41% Growthtop 45% Techbottom 48% Patents: 396 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 383 filings since 2022 vs 13 in 2017-21 Innovation: 396 patents (top 3% of patent-holders) · 383 filings since 2022 vs 13 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 80/100 | $130M | 55 mo ago | 524 524 → 853 (+63%) | — | Node.jsReactNext.js App Router+13 | — | — | 396 patents AI-powered automotive navigation, telematics, and EV charging location services | 1 job opening · 2 launchs · 1 award |
| 6 | SK Encar Online used car listing platform | $126M | 147 mo ago | 70,000 | — | SentryNode.jsVideoJS+15 | +12% | — | — | — |
| 7 | Hey Dealer App-driven and auction-based C2B car selling platform | $98M | 28 mo ago | 75 | Park Jin-Woo CEO | SentryReactReact Router+13 | +27% | — | — | — |
| 8 | Auto-L Online platform offering a range of high-resolution LiDAR sensors for autonomous systems | $81M | 44 mo ago | 16 | Yong Lee CEO | — | — | — | 317 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | — |
| 9 | Nature Mobility Provider of micro-mobility solutions for car rental companies | $76M | 46 mo ago | 41 | Lee Sang CEO | — | — | — | 9 patents Smart helmets and AI-driven mobility demand/price forecasting platforms for transportation services. | — |
| 10 | Softberry App-based platform offering charge point locater services | $71M | 26 mo ago | 42 | Yong Park CEO | GSAPVue.jsAmazon Web Services+6 | +24% | — | 15 patents AI-driven EV charging station data aggregation, user‑personalized info, and community services | — |
| 11 | Nota Developer of AI optimization solutions for on-device and edge computing 84Patents top 13%AI top 18%Innovation top 19%Funding top 23% All 14 signals ▾Patentstop 13% AItop 18% Innovationtop 19% Fundingtop 23% Newstop 23% Growthtop 25% Producttop 28% Moattop 29% Customerstop 35% Techtop 40% Partnerstop 42% Talenttop 44% Markettop 48% Globalbottom 42% Patents: 216 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 199 filings since 2022 vs 15 in 2017-21 AI: Classified as an AI company · Holds AI/ML patents (G06N-family CPC) rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 84/100 | $63M | 24 mo ago | 95 | Tae Kim Co-Founder & CTO | Cart FunctionalitySquarespace CommerceSquarespace+22 | — | 6 signals ▲500% Leadership · IPO · Contracts | 216 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | 1 launch · 1 partnership · 1 award |
| 12 | Everon Operators of electric vehicle charging stations | $47M | 35 mo ago | 59 | — | Naver MapsRadix UITailwind CSS+8 | — | — | — | — |
| 13 | bitsensing Developer of radar technology for automotive, smart city, and healthcare 64Innovation top 13%Patents top 16%Moat top 29%Funding top 30% All 8 signals ▾Innovationtop 13% Patentstop 16% Moattop 29% Fundingtop 30% Marketbottom 48% Globalbottom 43% Techbottom 41% Newsbottom 22% Innovation: 157 patents (top 12% of patent-holders) · 108 filings since 2022 vs 49 in 2017-21 Patents: 157 patents matched (strict assignee match) · 108 filings since 2022 vs 49 in 2017-21 rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 64/100 | $42M | 24 mo ago | 72 | — | WebflowGSAPcore-js+10 | — | — | 157 patents Radar-based contactless sensing for health and motion monitoring | 4 awards |
| 14 | AutoCrypt Provider of cybersecurity solutions for automotive and mobility applications | $40M | 48 mo ago | 300 | SangGyoo Sim Co-Founder & CTO | WordPressApple iCloud MailMicrosoft 365+32 | — | — | 84 patents Automotive cybersecurity: CAN intrusion detection, V2X tolling, lidar anomaly, real-time messaging | 1 launch · 1 partnership |
| 15 | RideFlux Developer of software solutions for autonomous driving systems and related services | $40M | 5 mo ago | 81 | Yunho Co-Founder | — | — | — | 133 patents Advanced perception and AI-driven control systems for autonomous vehicles | — |
| 16 | POEN Manufacturer of batteries | $34M | 23 mo ago | 15 | SungJin Choi CEO | GnuboardMySQLPHP+13 | — | — | 10 patents EV battery management systems with wireless pack control and health/remanufacturing evaluation | — |
| 17 | Seoul Robotics Tech-enabled platform offering perception solution for autonomous vehicles | $31M | 44 mo ago | 72 | Minh Truong Co-Founder | — | — | — | 70 patents 3D mapping, point‑cloud calibration, and perception for autonomous vehicle navigation | 1 partnership |
| 18 | SWING App-based platform offering electric-kick scooter rental services | $25M | 52 mo ago | 85 | San Kim Founder & CEO | TistorySentrySvelte+7 | +20% | — | 3 patents Control systems for electric kickboards and household cleaning device technologies. | — |
| 19 | Smart Radar System Developer of radar imaging systems for mobility, industrial, and security | $24M | 65 mo ago | 63 | Paul Kim CEO | Microsoft 365CloudflareOpen Graph | — | — | 107 patents Automotive radar sensing for vehicle safety, passenger detection, and speed enforcement | — |
| 20 | Poolus App-based carpooling platform | $20M | 103 mo ago | — | Kim Tae-ho CEO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 21 | Chabot Mobility Provider of a platform for new car purchasing and management | $20M | 24 mo ago | — | Sunnggun Kang CEO | — | — | — | 2 patents Digital platforms for vehicle maintenance scheduling and insurance comparison services | — |
| 22 | Ettifos Provider of 5G-focused V2X communication solutions for automobiles | $18M | 10 mo ago | 44 | Yong Lim CEO | — | — | — | 15 patents Vehicle-to-pedestrian wireless communication and control channel signaling protocols | — |
| 23 | EVAR Manufacturer of mobile and stationary electric vehicle chargers | $16M | 35 mo ago | 60 | Lee Hun CEO | WixSentryBootstrap+10 | — | — | 72 patents Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes | — |
| 24 | Xingxing Mobility Operator of shared electric mobility devices for urban transportation needs | $16M | 41 mo ago | 74 | — | NotionOopyNode.js+10 | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | VINSSEN Developer of electric boats | $15M | 21 mo ago | 34 | Chil Lee CEO | — | — | — | 39 patents Marine propulsion and onboard hydrogen fuel‑cell power systems with ammonia reforming and water management | — |
| 26 | SOS Lab Developer of optical measurement sensors based on LiDAR technologies | $14M | 74 mo ago | 63 | Sungui Hwang Co-Founder | PHPGSAPApache HTTP Server+5 | — | — | 253 patents Advanced solid-state LiDAR systems with VCSEL, color imaging, and smart power management | 1 partnership · 1 award |
| 27 | Macaront App-based platform offering ride-hailing services | $11M | 75 mo ago | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 28 | Leo Motors Cartridge batteries for electric vehicles | $11M | 120 mo ago | 73 | — | — | — | — | 97 patents Patents concentrated in electrical & electronics | — |
| 29 | MobilTech Provider of algorithm-based image recognition and mapping solutions | $10M | 32 mo ago | 18 | — | — | — | — | 105 patents Patents concentrated in computing, sensing & instrumentation | 2 launchs |
| 30 | Getcha App that provides an auction-based marketplace for new cars | $10M | 50 mo ago | 55 | You chul Jung Founder & CEO | — | +14% | — | — | — |
| 31 | PLANA Manufacturer of hybrid electric VTOL aircraft | $8M | 44 mo ago | — | Braden Kim Chief Executive Officer At Plana | WordPressMySQLPHP+18 | — | — | 10 patents Aircraft thermal management and cooling systems integration for structures and batteries | 3 job openings |
| 32 | Pluglink Operator of electric vehicle charging stations and related management systems | $6M | 43 mo ago | 18 | Andrew Kang CEO | WordPressMySQLPHP+16 | +145% | — | 6 patents EV charging management using Bluetooth authentication, local certification, and neural‑network load balancing | — |
| 33 | Dareesoft Provider of AI-driven road hazard digitization solution | $5M | 42 mo ago | 37 | — | — | — | — | 17 patents Computer vision systems for detecting and locating hazardous objects and road damage | — |
| 34 | Lycle Online bicycle rental platform | $5M | 69 mo ago | — | Daum S Co-Founder & CEO | SentryNode.jsNaver Maps+16 | — | — | — | — |
| 35 | Everyone's Charge Provider of an app-based platform to EV charging stations | $5M | 23 mo ago | 14 | Ye-chan Yoon CEO | ImwebFroala EditorYouTube+29 | — | — | — | — |
| 36 | Konatus App-based platform for taxi-sharing | $4M | 73 mo ago | — | Gidong Kim CEO | — | — | — | — | — |
| 37 | LG Energy Solutions Manufacturer of advanced batteries for automotive, mobility, IT, and ESS applications | $3M | 24 mo ago | 11,080 | Dong-Myung Kim CEO | WordPress Block EditorWordPressApple iCloud Mail+20 | — | 5 signals ▲400% Acquisition · Contracts | 1,565 patents Advanced lithium‑ion battery cathode materials, fabrication processes, and safety components | — |
| 38 | Mr Pic Online services for car buyers & sellers | $3M | 126 mo ago | 32 | — | — | — | — | 2 patents User interface area selection methods for input devices and gesture interaction | — |
| 39 | Carmerce Online retailer of used vehicles with negotiation and appraisal services | $2M | 39 mo ago | 40 | — | Node.jsEmotionReact+8 | +47% | — | — | — |
| 40 | Autonomous A2G Autonomous driving solutions for vehicles | $2M | 3 mo ago | 47 | Han Ji-Hyeong Co-Founder & CEO | ImwebFroala EditorVimeo+20 | — | 3 signals Funding · IPO · Announcements | — | — |
| 41 | Chabot Technology company offering online platform for ride-hailing and mobility | $900K | 20 mo ago | 9 | Kang Sung-Geun CEO | Node.jsTailwind CSSReact+15 | — | — | — | — |
| 42 | POSCORE Manufacturer of motors for electric vehicles | $747K | 19 mo ago | — | Hyungjin Kim CEO | — | — | — | 10 patents Manufacturing soft magnetic powder cores and lamination processes for inductors/transformers | — |
| 43 | Mars Auto Tech-enabled platform offering autonomous trucking solutions | $519K | 81 mo ago | 13 | Gyuri Im Co-Founder | Node.jsRadix UITailwind CSS+9 | — | — | — | — |
| 44 | MOSILER Online platform to book chauffeurs | $425K | 113 mo ago | 6 | Keunwoo Lee Founder & CEO | PHPOpenSSLBootstrap+13 | — | — | — | — |
| 45 | Geo-Line Mobile charging-payment solution for electric vehicles | $254K | 125 mo ago | — | Sunggyoo Geo CEO | — | — | — | 21 patents Secure, fast EV and mobile device charging systems with authentication and safety shielding | — |
| 46 | Eflow Developer of high-efficiency hydrogen fuel cell and AFPM motor systems for micro-mobility | — | 3 mo ago | 8 | Charlie Youn Founder & CEO | GnuboardMySQLPHP+13 | — | — | 32 patents Axial permanent‑magnet motors, reduction gearsets, and thermal‑managed drive systems for e‑bikes | — |
| 47 | Chaevi Provider of end-to-end electric vehicle charging solutions | — | 17 mo ago | 313 | Choi Young-Hoon Co-CEO | PHPGSAPSwiper+10 | +62% | — | 13 patents Advanced EV charging hardware, safety monitoring, and grid‑integrated energy storage solutions | 1 launch |
Top 12 Auto Tech companies in South Korea
#1
Series C · Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do · founded 2015 · 950 employees$989.5Mraised▾
Provider of technology-driven mobility services including taxi, ride-hailing, and navigation. The company offers a range of options for transportation and logistics. These services encompass various modes, including taxi, ride-hailing, parking, and navigation. It also provides options for intercity bus, train, and air travel. The company extends its services to include quick delivery and 택배.
- Mar 2025PE—
- Dec 2021Series C$55M
- Jul 2021Series C$84.9M
- Jun 2021Series C$125M
#2
Series B · South Korea · founded 2018 · 81 employees$40Mraised▾
Developer of software solutions for autonomous driving systems and related services. The company focuses on creating technology intended to provide efficient transportation. It develops software for use in autonomous vehicles. The company also offers services related to its autonomous driving technology.
- Dec 2025Series B$13.9M
- Oct 2024Series B$18.8M
- Sep 2020Series A$2.6M
- Feb 2020Series A$4.4M
#3
Series C · Gyeongsan si, North Gyeongsang Province · founded 2018 · 47 employees$1.9Mraised▾
Autonomous driving solutions for vehicles. The platform offers solutions like providing a development platform for technology developers, consulting, training, and more. Also, it offers products like VP16 SDK( Lidar sensor), MRP-2000( receiver), and more.
- Mar 2026Series C$27.5M
- Oct 2023Series B$25.2M
- Nov 2020Seed$1.9M
#4
Series B · Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do · founded 2018 · 44 employees$18Mraised▾
Provider of 5G-focused V2X communication solutions for automobiles. The company is involved in the development of connectivity products for automobiles that V2X devices, OBU, RSU, V2X development kits, etc. It also provides 'Sirius' an all-in-one 5G NR-V2X test platform that allows researchers, developers, and companies to carry out functional and performance testing, as well as rapid prototyping.
- Jul 2025Series B$12.2M
- Apr 2024Series A$5.7M
#5
Series E · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2021 · 2889 employees$1.7Braised▾
Provider of energy and chemical products, including batteries and lubricants. The organization focuses on battery business, alongside exploration and production. It offers a range of products, including petrochemicals, plastics, and performance materials. The business is structured around several core divisions, each specializing in different aspects of the energy, chemical, and advanced materials sectors.
- Jul 2023Series E$100M
- Jun 2023Series E$400M
- May 2023Series E$944M
- Mar 2023Series D$289.3M
#6
Public · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2015 · 95 employees$63.1Mraised▾
Developer of AI optimization solutions for on-device and edge computing. The company provides tools for AI model compression and optimization across various industries. It offers solutions for applications such as surveillance, industrial safety, and intelligent transportation systems. The company focuses on enabling high-performance AI on diverse devices.
- Jun 2024Series C$21.7M
- Oct 2023Series B$20M
- Apr 2022Series B—
- Dec 2021Series B$14.7M
#7
Series B · Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do · founded 2018 · 72 employees$42Mraised▾
Developer of radar technology for automotive, smart city, and healthcare. The company designs radar solutions from concept to production for various industries. It provides radar systems for automated vehicles, traffic management, and patient monitoring. The company aims to improve safety and convenience with its radar technology.
- Jun 2024Series B$25.3M
- Sep 2022Series A$10M
- Jun 2020Seed$5.8M
- Dec 2019Seed—
#8
Series B · Uiwang si, Gyeonggi do · founded 2019 · 15 employees$33.7Mraised▾
Manufacturer of batteries. It reuses discarded and used battery for manaufacturing new ones. It works on areas such as battery remanufacturing, secondary battery reuse, residual value assessment, and more.
- Jul 2024Series B$28M
- 2021Series A—
- 2020Seed—
#9
Series C · Jeollanam-do · founded 2017 · 34 employees$15.4Mraised▾
Developer of electric boats. The company develops electric boats with features like 8.2M long leisure boat, hydrogen fuel cell, ship integrated control system, 5 seater capacity, etc. It also develops power train systems and energy storage systems for ships.
- Sep 2024Series C—
- Jul 2021Series B$12.8M
- Sep 2020Series A$2.5M
- Dec 2019Seed—
#10
Series D · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2014 · 75 employees$97.9Mraised▾
App-driven and auction-based C2B car selling platform. Users can sell the cars on an auction-based system to dealers through the platform. Sellers should provide car details, owner details, expected price range, and more for selling the car. Their app is available for both Android and iOS devices.
- Feb 2024Series D$33.6M
- Dec 2021Series C$33.6M
- Jul 2019Series B$25.4M
- Jul 2016Series A$4.5M
#11
Series A · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2016 · 42 employees$70.6Mraised▾
App-based platform offering charge point locater services. The company offers mobile application EV infra which provides information on electric vehicle charging points, Soodal offers information on hydrogen vehicle charging stations. Also, it offers in-app payments for charging. The mobile application is available for Android and iOS platforms.
- Mar 2024Series A$3.6M
- Jan 2022Series A$67M
#12
Series A · Seoul, Seoul · founded 2021 · 14 employees$4.8Mraised▾
Provider of an app-based platform to EV charging stations. It users the users to check the nearest charging station in real time by choosing the charging type and operating organization. The platform offers other features like on demand charging solutions, integrated payment, vehicle management, community platform, etc. Mobile applications are available for android and iOS users.
- Jul 2024Series A$2.2M
- 2022Seed$2.4M
Funding & investor landscape
Notable founders
Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage
Share of Auto Tech coverage by sub-theme.
Regulatory-risk over time rising
Funding & growth over time
funding rising · growth rising
How research on Autonomous Vehicles is moving in South Korea
A read on the academic research around Autonomous Vehicles — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 684 South Korea-affiliated papers.
- Chang'an University96
- Hanyang University45
- Seoul National University43
- Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology38
- Sungkyunkwan University31
- Real-time computing1→10
- Motion planning1→10
- Segmentation1→8
- Path (computing)1→8
- Advanced driver assistance systems1→4
- Computer vision3→29
- Human–computer interaction1→22
- Control theory (sociology)5→25
- Transport engineering1→21
- Path (computing)4→18
- Humanities7
- Context (archaeology)7
- Transport engineering6
- Perception5
- Software deployment4
Where autonomous vehicles is researched across South Korea
Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.
Who's filing autonomous vehicles patents in South Korea
South Korea autonomous vehicles patent filing is accelerating — 4,507 filings from 1,070 assignees (2016–2025), led by Hyundai, KIA, LG Electronics; annual filings 61→722.
- Hyundai1327
- KIA726
- LG Electronics370
- KIA Motors310
- Samsung211
- Stradvision184
- Electronics & Telecommunications162
- Korea Automotive TECH INST61
Common questions
Riya reads income statements for fun. She covers the real money in a sector — revenue, growth, who actually earns — and never met a vague claim she didn't want a number for.