RLWRLD Emerges from Stealth with $14.8M to Bring Foundational AI to Industrial Robotics

Industrial robots are everywhere — over 540,000 were installed in 2023 alone, bringing the global total past 4 million, according to the International Federation of Robotics. But while they're great at repetitive tasks, they often stumble when things get tricky: delicate materials, precision handling, or changing environments still require human hands.

South Korean startup RLWRLD thinks it has a fix. The company just came out of stealth with a foundational AI model designed specifically for robotics. By merging large language models with traditional robotics software, RLWRLD claims its model can help robots make faster, more adaptive movements — and even perform basic logical reasoning.

“Processes that require a lot of manual work can be completely automated by learning and copying human expertise,” said founder and CEO Jung-Hee Ryu in an interview with TechCrunch.

The Numbers RLWRLD secured 21 billion KRW (~$14.8M) in a seed round led by Hashed, with participation from Mirae Asset Venture Investment and Global Brain. But what really stands out is the roster of strategic investors:

• From Japan: Ana Group, PKSHA, Mitsui Chemical, Shimadzu, KDDI

• From Korea: LG Electronics, SK Telecom

• From India: Amber Manufacturing

What’s Next? The funding will go toward:

• Launching proof-of-concept pilots with strategic investors

• Acquiring GPUs, robots, and data-gathering devices

• Hiring top research talent

• Developing advanced five-fingered hand movements — something rivals like Tesla, Figure AI, and 1X haven’t cracked yet

Why It Matters RLWRLD is betting big on a future where robots don’t just follow scripts — they learn from humans, adapt like them, and eventually replace even complex manual processes. If they’re right, this could push industrial automation into an entirely new era.