자율주행차 A2Z, 자율주행차 생산 가속화 위해 3천만 달러 사전 IPO 유치 - kmjournal.net

South Korean autonomous driving startup Autonomous A2Z has secured 40.5 billion won (about $30 million) in a pre-IPO funding round as it moves toward a planned KOSDAQ listing. With this investment, the company’s total funding now reaches roughly 122.5 billion won. The round included existing investor DS Investment Partners along with new participants such as KB Investment and Hana Securities. The company plans to use the capital to build a mass-production system for its purpose-built autonomous vehicle platform. Building autonomous vehicles from the ground up Founded in 2018 by former Hyundai Motor engineers, Autonomous A2Z has focused on developing full-stack autonomous driving technology. Today, its self-driving buses operate across 13 provinces in South Korea, giving the company a large real-world testing environment. What sets the company apart is its approach to vehicle development. Instead of retrofitting existing cars with autonomous systems, Autonomous A2Z designs vehicles specifically for self-driving operations. This strategy is similar to the approach used by companies like Waymo. The company has already unveiled its autonomous passenger vehicle called ROi. The vehicle gained attention last year when it was showcased during international events including the APEC summit. Following the latest investment, Autonomous A2Z plans to move toward production by securing key components and building manufacturing molds for the ROi platform. Hybrid AI architecture for safer autonomy On the technology side, the startup is developing an end-to-end AI driving system where artificial intelligence handles perception, decision making, and control in a unified model. However, the company does not rely entirely on AI. Its platform uses what it calls a hybrid E2E architecture, where rule-based systems remain in place as safety safeguards. The sensing stack also reflects a conservative engineering approach. Rather than relying mainly on cameras, the system combines lidar, radar, and cameras in a sensor fusion setup. Autonomous A2Z is also working on designing its own camera modules as part of its core technology stack. Expanding global autonomous mobility trials Beyond South Korea, the company has been expanding its international pilot programs. In Singapore, Autonomous A2Z operates autonomous shuttle services in collaboration with ride-hailing platform Grab. The company is also running trials in the United Arab Emirates and Japan as it gathers driving data from different road environments. These global deployments are expected to help refine the company’s AI models and support its long-term plan to launch autonomous mobility services worldwide. KOSDAQ listing targeted this year Autonomous A2Z plans to file for a technology-track IPO review with the Korea Exchange in April. The company aims to complete its KOSDAQ listing within the year. CEO Han Ji-hyung said the new funding will help the company move faster toward commercializing autonomous vehicles and expanding global operations. According to DS Investment Partners, the company stands out because it combines automotive engineering expertise with advanced AI technology. Investors believe that once production begins, Autonomous A2Z could compete strongly in the global autonomous driving market. by investment analystㅣ[email protected]