Insider Brief
- CarbonSix raised $40 million in Series A funding to expand its physical AI systems for manufacturing, including robotic intelligence software, hands and manipulators for factory lines.
- The round was co-led by DSC Investment and LB Investment, with participation from new investors including IMM Investment, Korea Development Bank, SV Investment, Cortentia and ASQ.
- CarbonSix said its factory-use model collects task-specific operational data from deployed automation tools to improve its AI systems, and the company has already secured commercial contracts and growing revenue.
South Korean startup CarbonSix has announced raising $40 million in Series A funding to expand its robotics and AI systems for manufacturing.
The round inlcuded South Korean and U.S. investments and was co-led by DSC Investment and LB Investment, according to the company. New investors included IMM Investment, Korea Development Bank, SV Investment, Cortentia and ASQ, also known as A Squared. All of its existing seed investors also participated in the round, including Foothill Ventures, Storm Ventures, Zeitgeist Capital, Xquared and CarbonBlack Fund.
The company develops what it calls physical AI for manufacturing. In practical terms, CarbonSix is building robotic intelligence software and hardware, specifically robotic hands and manipulators, that are designed to be used on factory lines.
CarbonSix said it will use the funding to invest in talent and infrastructure as it expands its manufacturing-focused physical AI systems. CarbonSix is led by CEO Tae-yeon Terry Moon, who previously co-founded SuaLab, an industrial AI vision company acquired by Cognex. CTO H.J. Terry Suh earned a Ph.D. from MIT and leads the company’s robotic intelligence work. Chief Hardware Officer Je-hyeok Kim, a former Yale postdoctoral researcher, focuses on robotic hands and manipulator design.
The company’s technology is built around a data model tied to real factory use. Rather than relying only on broad datasets to train general AI models, CarbonSix said it provides automation tools that manufacturers can use immediately. As those tools are used, they collect task-specific operational data that is fed back into the system to improve the models and the automation tools.
“From the very beginning, our goal has never been about building technology for technology’s sake — it has been about creating practical, field-ready Physical AI that drives measurable bottom-line results for manufacturers,” said Moon.. “This funding validates our deployment-first, revenue-backed approach. We will aggressively invest in top-tier talent and infrastructure to accelerate the physical AI transition for factories worldwide.”
CarbonSix said it has already converted that strategy into commercial contracts and growing revenue, though it did not disclose customer names or revenue figures.
Image credit: CarbonSix