RLWRLD Raises $15M Seed Round to Build Foundation Models for Physical AI
RLWRLD, a South Korean startup, announced a $15 million seed funding round with investment from a prestigious cross-border coalition of industrial titans and AI-specialized venture capital partners in Korea and Japan.
The round has strategic investment from leading corporations like LG Electronics, SK Telecom, KDDI, ANA Holdings, Mitsui Chemicals, and Shimadzu Corporation, as well as leading investors Hashed, Mirae Asset, and Global Brain.
The investment is one of the largest early-stage investments in the developing space of Physical AI, artificial intelligence that can live and thrive in dynamic physical spaces.
A World-Class Team Tackling the Next Frontier of AI
RLWRLD is led by Jung-hee Ryu, the founder of Olaworks (acquired by Intel), alongside a seasoned founding team that includes KAIST Chair Professor Jinwoo Shin, the former CTO of Kurly, a Kakao engineering veteran, and an ex-BCG partner. Together, they aim to create the brains that will power machines in the physical world.
Jung-hee Ryu, Founder & CEO, RLWRLD, said, “Silicon Valley is building brains for the internet. We're building brains for machines.”
While traditional AI companies focus on text, images, and code, RLWRLD is zeroing in on robotics and real-world sensor data. Its mission is to build foundation models, AI systems trained on vast, diverse data sets, that enable machines to reason, adapt, and act autonomously in dynamic physical environments like factories, warehouses, and logistics hubs.
RLWRLD’s approach is built on three core pillars that drive its real-world intelligence capabilities. First, it features an embodied model architecture specifically designed to handle complex, real-world tasks with high efficiency.
Second, it leverages industrial-scale data pipelines, drawing on rich, high-quality data sourced from East Asia’s advanced manufacturing ecosystems. Finally, RLWRLD enables seamless deployment through plug-and-play robotics integration, allowing its systems to operate effortlessly within existing industrial environments.
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Accelerating Innovation with Global Industry Support
With the new funding, RLWRLD plans to scale its proprietary industrial data pipelines by expanding collaborations with partner sites, further strengthening its data-driven capabilities. The company will also accelerate the development of its robotics foundation model, enhancing its real-world intelligence systems.
In addition, RLWRLD seeks to further strengthen its collaborations with Asian and North American sensor and robotics makers, ensuring deeper integration and innovation in its deployment environments.
The company is also developing an expanded innovation ecosystem, collaborating with universities like KAIST, Seoul National University, and POSTECH, and also partnering with robot companies like WIRobotics, Rainbow Robotics, Wonik Robotics, and Robotis.
