- ZER01NE Fund III, valued at KRW 125 billion, goals to speed up innovation in future applied sciences by way of early-stage startup investments
- The fund targets startups globally that align with strategic areas like AI, robotics, cybersecurity, hydrogen and vitality applied sciences
- Constructing on the successes of earlier funds, ZER01NE Fund III is supported by seven Hyundai Motor Group associates to develop startup collaborations
Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) introduced immediately the launch of ZER01NE Fund III, a KRW 125 billion strategic funding fund aimed toward accelerating innovation in future applied sciences by way of early-stage startup investments.
The brand new fund marks a 1.5-fold improve in dimension over the earlier ZER01NE Fund II and is supported by 10 associates of the Group, together with Hyundai Motor Firm, Kia Company, Hyundai Motor Securities, Hyundai GLOVIS, Hyundai WIA, Hyundai Rotem, Hyundai MOBIS, Hyundai AutoEver, Hyundai Capital, and Hyundai BNG STEEL.
ZER01NE Fund III will give attention to discovering and investing in startups worldwide that align carefully with the Group’s evolving enterprise methods, notably within the areas of synthetic intelligence (AI), robotics, cybersecurity, hydrogen and vitality applied sciences.
“This fund reinforces the Group’s place as a number one strategic investor in transformative applied sciences,” mentioned Kyuseung Keith Noh, Vice President and Head of ZER01NE Group at Hyundai Motor Group. “By deepening collaboration with revolutionary startups, we purpose to generate significant synergies throughout our associates and speed up our future-ready enterprise initiatives.”
The brand new fund builds on the success of its predecessors. ZER01NE Fund I (roughly KRW 10 billion) and ZER01NE Fund II (KRW 80.5 billion) collectively invested in over 105 startups, resulting in over 200 collaboration circumstances inside the Group.
Notable ZER01NE Fund I portfolio firms embody:
- Clobot gives cloud-based robotic administration platforms for industries akin to logistics, healthcare and safety. It quickly scaled from seed funding to IPO in 2024, pushed by its proprietary autonomous navigation options. .
- MakinaRocks is an AI startup that makes a speciality of industrial synthetic intelligence options, notably specializing in manufacturing and course of optimization. The corporate develops machine studying platforms that assist industrial shoppers predict gear failures, optimize manufacturing processes, and enhance operational effectivity by way of information analytics.
- POEN remanufactures and upcycles end-of-life EV battery packs, reworking discarded cells into high-performance, cost-effective battery models for reuse. It companions with OEMs globally to scale back battery waste and promote sustainable vitality storage options.
- Macaron Manufacturing unit is an automotive tech startup that developed “Mycle,” a cell app platform connecting automotive homeowners with restore outlets and mechanics. The corporate digitizes the automotive upkeep expertise by providing on-demand reserving companies, clear pricing, and streamlined communication between car homeowners and repair suppliers.
The funding interval for ZER01NE Fund II concluded in January 2025. Its key firms embody:
- 60Hertz develops AI-powered software program to handle and optimize distributed renewable vitality property like photo voltaic, wind and EV methods. It helps international shoppers meet RE100 objectives by way of forecasting instruments, vitality buying and selling platforms and good grid applied sciences.
- LD Carbon recycles end-of-life tires into recovered carbon black and tire pyrolysis oil utilizing superior pyrolysis know-how. It provides eco-certified supplies to international producers whereas considerably lowering carbon emissions and selling round financial system practices.
- Terracle recycles waste plastics primarily based on inexperienced chemical know-how. The first imaginative and prescient is to allow the infinite recycling of plastics with out environmental air pollution, using low-temperature depolymerization know-how for PET, reverting plastic again to its uncooked supplies.
- Vacation Robotics develops manipulation-centric humanoid robots with dexterous fingers, leveraging LLMs, laptop imaginative and prescient, and simulation-based reinforcement studying for manufacturing meeting duties with plans to develop into service and residential purposes.
With the launch of ZER01NE Fund III, the Group continues its dedication to shaping the way forward for mobility and sustainability by backing pioneering startups with excessive potential to contribute to its long-term development.
