Asia’s push into physical AI is being fueled by the same manufacturing prowess that made the region a global industrial powerhouse. Across South Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan, manufacturing remains a central pillar of economic growth. Unlike economies more heavily weighted toward services or software, these countries have long relied on large-scale production, export-driven industries, and highly optimized supply chains. That structural foundation is now shaping how artificial intelligence is adopted and where investment flows.
Which makes it particularly significant that Config, a Seoul- and San Jose-based startup building the data layer for robotics foundation models (RFMs), has secured backing from the venture arms of South Korea’s biggest manufacturers.
Samsung Venture Investment led its oversubscribed $27 million seed round at a valuation of more than $200 million, bringing Config’s total raised to $35 million. Hyundai Motor’s venture arm ZER01NE Ventures; LG Technology Ventures; and SKT America, a South Korean telco giant’s VC unit, also joined as strategic investors. Other investors include angel investor Pieter Abbeel (co-founder of Covariant and a UC Berkeley professor) and financial backers Mirae Asset Ventures, Korea Development Bank, GS Futures, Kakao Ventures, and Z Ventures.
