Doosan units raise $140M fund to scout robotics and chip startups
What's the deal? Five Doosan Group companies are setting up a US$167.7M corporate venture fund to back promising startups. Doosan, Doosan EnerbilityDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Doosan BobcatDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Doosan TesnaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Doosan Robotics will each contribute US$33.5M to Doosan InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the group's venture arm, which will source and execute deals under the vehicle named Doosan New Technology Investment Fund No. 2.
Why now? The fund doubles the size of its 2024 predecessor, which was backed by the same five companies with US$16.8M each for a US$83.8M total. Doosan later added US$10.9M to the venture arm through a rights offering, citing rising investment demand in AI and robotics.
What's the endgame? Investments will center on areas Doosan has flagged as future growth drivers: robotics, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, automation, and green energy. The group wants to back companies that fit alongside its existing businesses.
A Doosan official said it would "invest ahead of the curve in promising sectors that can create synergy with Doosan Group's existing businesses over the medium to long term, securing opportunities to adopt new technologies and identifying potential acquisition targets." (translated from Korean)
The track record: Doosan Investment made its first deal in June 2024, backing fabless chip designer UniconDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, then joined the pre-Series A round of robotic prosthetics startup MandroDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. In February, it put €2 million into AMI Labs, the startup founded by New York University professor Yann LeCun, as part of a combined €5.8 million from the group.
The signal: The bigger pool gives Doosan more firepower to scout technology with links to its own operations, from chips to collaborative robots. It is a strategic bet, though — not evidence of a completed acquisition or an immediate earnings boost.
Read more: en.sedaily.com
Image credit: Sangitiana
