Korea's builders back Robocon again to put robots on rebar duty
What's the deal? Korean construction firms GS Engineering & ConstructionDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Hoban ConstructionDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → have invested in Robocon, a robot-based construction automation company, through a convertible bond purchase. The deal was made via the PlanH-XPLOR Green Smart City Venture Investment Partnership, a fund the two builders back.
Who's behind it? The fund was formed in 2024 by XPLOR InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the corporate venture arm of GS Engineering & Construction, and PlanH Ventures, Hoban Construction's venture unit. It totals 38.5 billion won, with the National Land and Transport parent fund contributing 15 billion won, GS Engineering & Construction 11.5 billion won, Hoban Construction 2 billion won, and XPLOR Investment 500 million won.
What does Robocon do? Spun off in November 2020 from the robotics unit of Daehan NetworksDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, part of the DaehanSteel groupDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, it builds automation systems for rebar processing, assembly, and transport. Its flagship product, ARON, automates rebar supply, cutting, and bending.
Why now? Builders face labor shortages and rising construction costs, pushing them to automate repetitive, hazardous work. Robocon says producing 3,000 tons of rebar for building frames once needed up to 30 workers; with ARON, that drops below 10, while cutting material loss.
Why it matters: This is a quick re-raise. Samsung C&TDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → invested about 15 billion won in Robocon in 2023, took majority board voting rights, and folded the company in as a consolidated subsidiary. With GS Engineering & Construction and Hoban Construction now joining, competition among major builders to lock down automation technology is intensifying.
What's next? "Several institutions are showing interest in the pre-IPO stage of equity investment before listing, but no additional investment has been decided," a XPLOR Investment official said. The firm framed the deal as strategic, aiming to "boost productivity at construction sites and accelerate digital transformation."
The signal: Robocon's tools already run at overseas sites built by Korean firms, including Singapore's Tuas Port and a Taipei Airport project. As labor gaps widen, robots are moving from pilot to standard equipment on construction sites — and builders are racing to own the technology rather than rent it.
Read more: biz.chosun.com
