[StartupRecipe] Korean Mobility Investment Drops as Self-Driving Funding Plunges

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#Weekly Funding Overview

#FUNDING

#TREND ANALYSIS

Korean Mobility Investment Drops as Self-Driving Funding Plunges

Investment in South Korea’s autonomous driving startups has significantly declined in 2025. Last year, autonomous driving accounted for 37% of total mobility investments, representing a substantial portion, but this year there have been almost no large-scale investments in autonomous driving startups.

Investment in the vehicle and mobility sector has been declining for three consecutive years. As of November, it reached only KRW 224.6 billion, a 35% decrease compared to the previous year. After peaking in 2022 when investments were concentrated in autonomous driving technology, investments plummeted by 50% in 2023, and this trend has continued into 2025. The largest investment at present is KRW 45 billion recorded by Pluglink, with no mega deals in the KRW 100 billion range for two consecutive years.

The void left by autonomous driving has been filled by aviation and maritime mobility. In 2025, investments in this sector amounted to KRW 65.5 billion, accounting for 29% of all disclosed investments. Looking at major investment activities, they include Preneu (UAV) KRW 15 billion, Seadronix (autonomous ship navigation) KRW 15 billion, Next Aerospace (UAV) KRW 18.5 billion, Adro (mobility aerotech) KRW 10 billion, and Driveforce (eco-friendly ships) KRW 6 billion. Additionally, early-stage startups such as Lihai (UAV and drones) KRW 2 billion, AD System (unmanned aerial vehicles and stealth drones) KRW 4 billion, Nearthlab (drones and AI) KRW 1 billion, UAM Tech (UAV) seed investment, and Mobility Lab (drone software) grants demonstrate active exploration of new markets including UAM (Urban Air Mobility), drones, and autonomous navigation vessels.

Mobility service platforms are finding new opportunities in specialized areas such as maintenance, finance, and commerce. Representative examples include AutoHands (mobility services) KRW 15.5 billion, Conatus (mobility platform) KRW 13 billion, and Carang (mobility maintenance platform) KRW 7 billion. The automotive semiconductor and software sector also saw successful fundraising by Boss Semiconductor (KRW 20 billion), Ettifos (KRW 15 billion), and Ivis (KRW 4 billion). In contrast, there were no large-scale investments in electric vehicle charging startups aside from Pluglink, which stands in stark contrast to the first half of 2023 when KRW 200 billion poured into this sector. Micromobility services such as kickboards and vehicle sharing received virtually no investment this year either.

While investment in the autonomous driving sector has sharply declined this year, it is positive to note that companies that successfully raised funds have markedly increased their expansion into overseas markets. They are focusing on commercialization results instead of fundraising. Autonomous A2Z, along with Ride Flux, StradVision, and Vueron Technology, are actively advancing into global markets. The government announced the K-Mobility Global Leadership Strategy worth KRW 15 trillion this year, revealing its bold commitment to financial support. With the globalization of K-autonomous driving startups becoming visible and investment diversification in future markets such as aviation and maritime mobility aligning with government policy support, the market is expected to enter a mature phase.

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