This photo taken June 15, 2023, and provided by Hyundai Motor Group shows Kim Do-yeop, CEO of the autonomous driving drone startup ViewMagine, explaining the company’s technology during the HMG Open Innovation Tech Day held at Hotel Naru in Mapo, Seoul.
SEOUL, June 15 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it has invested 1.3 trillion won (US$1.02 billion) in global startups in the electrification, artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous driving sectors as part of its efforts to boost future mobility solutions.
The South Korean automotive group made the investment in more than 200 startups in 13 countries from 2017 through the first quarter of this year.
The 1.3 trillion-won figure did not include Hyundai’s investments in the U.S.-based robotics firm Boston Dynamics, Inc., Motional and Supernal in recent years.
Motional is a joint venture set up between Hyundai Motor Co. and U.S. mobility startup Aptiv. Supernal is the group’s Washington, D.C.-headquartered urban air mobility company.
Hyundai said it “will strengthen strategic partnerships with global startups through stake investments, joint investments, and mergers and acquisitions for business synergies.”
Hyundai currently operates offices called Hyundai Cradle in five countries — the United States, Germany, Israel, China and Singapore — to explore technologically advanced startups in terms of future mobility technologies, it said.
In Korea, it has established a hub office named Zero1ne for the overseas offices.
On Thursday, the group held the HMG Open Innovation Tech Day event in western Seoul to give its five domestic startup partners opportunities to introduce their technologies to local media.
The five startups are the robot delivery service firm Mobinn, the 3D laser scanning firm Mobil Tech, the AI-based virtual human manufacturing firm Metaverse Entertainment, the autonomous driving drone startup ViewMagine, and the customized music curation service firm Aplayz Inc.
(Yonhap)
