[Edaily Reporter Kwon Oh Seok ] SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd.(019550)announced on the 22nd that it is drawing market attention as a prime example of its deep-tech investment strategy following the launch of the KOSDAQ listing process for Nearslab, an AI (artificial intelligence) autonomous drone company.

Previously, SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd. participated as a financial investor from Nearslab’s early growth stage. It added the company to its portfolio after recognizing its potential to expand beyond simple drone manufacturing into sectors such as industrial inspection, defense, security, and public safety, leveraging its AI-powered autonomous flight technology. As Nearslab’s initial public offering (IPO) becomes a reality, SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd.’s proactive investment acumen and ability to identify deep tech companies are also coming into the spotlight.
In the recent venture capital (VC) market, the industrial significance a company holds in the capital markets after its listing—not just whether it goes public—is becoming increasingly important. This is because the screening process for technology-based special listing has become more rigorous, and there is a growing trend among investors to demand not only technological originality but also actual revenue and order intake, global references, and business scalability. SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd.’s key criteria for evaluating Nearslab were the technology’s versatility and market scalability, placing particular emphasis on whether a single technology could be applied across multiple high-growth markets.
According to the company, Nearslab has commercialized AI-powered autonomous flight technology in the wind turbine inspection market and is now expanding that same technology base into the defense sector. SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd. defines Nearslab not merely as a company that solves specific industrial problems, but as a “deep-tech platform company” capable of entering multiple growth industries by combining AI, drones, and defense, and is continuing to provide related investment and support.
This investment perspective aligns with the “dual-use” technology investment trend that has recently gained prominence in the capital markets. It reflects the assessment that global investment enthusiasm is growing in fields such as AI, robotics, drones, space, and cybersecurity, driven by a structure where technologies validated in the civilian sector are expanding into the defense and security domains, or where defense technologies are being transferred to the civilian market. SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd. views Nearslab as a flagship portfolio representing Korea’s dual-use deep tech sector and is focusing on the potential for technological expansion into areas such as defense reconnaissance, anti-drone systems, and attack drones.
An SBI Investment KOREA Co., Ltd. official stated, “Nearslab is a flagship portfolio company that is simultaneously demonstrating the commercialization of AI-powered autonomous flight technology and its market scalability,” adding, “We will continue to identify core technology companies in future industries—including AI and deep tech, defense and aerospace, and semiconductor materials, parts, and equipment—to enhance our portfolio’s performance and corporate value.”