UVify, a South Korean startup specializing in drone swarm flight and autonomous flight platforms, has secured KRW 60 billion in new investment from venture capital firm Crit Ventures and NXC, the holding company of gaming giant Nexon. The funding round marks the largest single investment ever made in a Korean drone company, setting a new benchmark for the country’s rapidly growing drone industry. The investment was driven by UVify’s proprietary core technologies — including its swarm flight systems and autonomous flight platform — as well as the company’s demonstrated ability to expand into global markets at a time when competition among nations to develop domestic drone industries is intensifying.
Founded by CEO Lim Hyun, a Ph.D. graduate in aerospace engineering from Seoul National University, UVify has pursued international markets since its inception. The company recently became the first Korean drone firm to receive the “Ten Million Dollar Export Tower” award, officially validating its global competitiveness.
UVify has also made a significant mark in the entertainment drone sector, having successfully executed large-scale drone light shows for K-pop icons such as G-Dragon and BLACKPINK, as well as the Netflix K-pop event “Demon Hunters” on Seoul’s Han River and the M Drone Light Show at Busan’s Gwangalli Beach.
On the standards front, UVify is the only Korean company to have joined the board of the Dronecode Foundation, the global body that oversees PX4 — the core operating system for the drone industry. A company representative stated that UVify is directly participating in setting global drone standards and contributing to securing Korea’s technological sovereignty.
