WIRobotics is betting that years of real-world movement data could shape the next generation of humanoid robots
Updated
May 19, 2026 5:10 PM
3D render of a person in various colours. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Investor interest in humanoid robotics is continuing to grow as startups race to build systems capable of working alongside humans in real-world environments. That momentum was reflected after WIRobotics announced a KRW 95 billion (USD 68 million) Series B funding round to accelerate development of its humanoid robotics platform, ALLEX.
The Seoul-based startup said the funding comes roughly two years after its KRW 13 billion Series A round in 2024. JB Investment led the financing alongside investors including InterVest, Hana Ventures, Smilegate Investment, SBVA, NH Investment & Securities, Company K Partners, GU Investment and FuturePlay.
WIRobotics has spent the past several years building wearable robotics systems designed to assist human movement. The startup is now using that foundation to expand deeper into humanoid robotics and Physical AI, a category focused on AI systems that can interact with the physical world through movement, perception and manipulation.
Its humanoid platform, ALLEX, is being developed to support human-level object manipulation and interaction capabilities. The startup was recently selected for NVIDIA’s Physical AI Fellowship, a global robotics and AI development initiative aimed at supporting next-generation robotics research.
Rather than building humanoid systems entirely from scratch, WIRobotics is drawing on movement data collected through its wearable walking-assist robot, WIM. Over the past three years, the startup says it has built large real-world datasets around gait patterns, mobility and human movement control.
That wearable robotics business has also started showing commercial traction. WIM has sold more than 3,000 cumulative units and expanded into overseas markets including Europe, China, Türkiye and Japan. Revenue grew from KRW 560 million in 2023 to KRW 1.3 billion in 2024, then to KRW 2.79 billion in 2025. According to the startup, first-quarter 2026 revenue has already surpassed its full-year 2024 total.
The startup believes that real-world movement data collected through wearable robotics could become a competitive advantage as humanoid systems move closer to commercial deployment. WIRobotics is also expanding its global footprint alongside its robotics development efforts. The startup said it is establishing a North American entity in California while growing partnerships with overseas distributors and healthcare networks.
Its humanoid ambitions are moving into a more operational phase as well. Beginning later this year, WIRobotics plans to supply a research-focused version of its Mobile ALLEX platform to global research institutions and international partners for testing and collaborative development. The startup is also in discussions with a global automotive manufacturer around manufacturing-focused platform validation projects.
Yeonbaek Lee said: "This investment represents global recognition that the real-world movement data and control technologies accumulated through wearable robotics can evolve into next-generation humanoid robotics. We aim to accelerate the arrival of humanoid robots capable of interacting naturally with people".
Yongjae Kim added: "All investors from our previous Series A round participated again in this Series B financing, demonstrating strong confidence in WIRobotics' technological capabilities and growth potential amid intensifying global humanoid competition. Our mission is to realize humanoids capable of fundamentally human-like interaction and force control, driving a paradigm shift in high-performance manipulation technologies".
As competition intensifies across humanoid robotics, startups are increasingly trying to differentiate themselves through real-world deployment data rather than simulation alone. WIRobotics is positioning its wearable robotics business as the foundation for that transition, betting that years of human movement data could help shape the next generation of humanoid systems.
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Redefining sensor performance with advanced physical AI and signal processing.
Updated
January 8, 2026 6:32 PM
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Robot with human features, equipped with a visual sensor. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Atomathic, the company once known as Neural Propulsion Systems, is stepping into the spotlight with a bold claim: its new AI platforms can help machines “see the invisible”. With the commercial launch of AIDAR™ and AISIR™, the company says it is opening a new chapter for physical AI, AI sensing and advanced sensor technology across automotive, aviation, defense, robotics and semiconductor manufacturing.
The idea behind these platforms is simple yet ambitious. Machines gather enormous amounts of signal data, yet they still struggle to understand the faint, fast or hidden details that matter most when making decisions. Atomathic says its software closes that gap. By applying AI signal processing directly to raw physical signals, the company aims to help sensors pick up subtle patterns that traditional systems miss, enabling faster reactions and more confident autonomous system performance.
"To realize the promise of physical AI, machines must achieve greater autonomy, precision and real-time decision-making—and Atomathic is defining that future," said Dr. Behrooz Rezvani, Founder and CEO of Atomathic. "We make the invisible visible. Our technology fuses the rigor of mathematics with the power of AI to transform how sensors and machines interact with the world—unlocking capabilities once thought to be theoretical. What can be imagined mathematically can now be realized physically."
This technical shift is powered by Atomathic’s deeper mathematical framework. The core of its approach is a method called hyperdefinition technology, which uses the Atomic Norm and fast computational techniques to map sparse physical signals. In simple terms, it pulls clarity out of chaos. This enables ultra-high-resolution signal visualization in real time—something the company claims has never been achieved at this scale in real-time sensing.
AIDAR and AISIR are already being trialled and integrated across multiple sectors and they’re designed to work with a broad range of hardware. That hardware-agnostic design is poised to matter even more as industries shift toward richer, more detailed sensing. Analysts expect the automotive sensor market to surge in the coming years, with radar imaging, next-gen ADAS systems and high-precision machine perception playing increasingly central roles.
Atomathic’s technology comes from a tight-knit team with deep roots in mathematics, machine intelligence and AI research, drawing talent from institutions such as Caltech, UCLA, Stanford and the Technical University of Munich. After seven years of development, the company is ready to show its progress publicly, starting with demonstrations at CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
Suppose the future of autonomy depends on machines perceiving the world with far greater fidelity. In that case, Atomathic is betting that the next leap forward won’t come from more hardware, but from rethinking the math behind the signal—and redefining what physical AI can do.