[Edaily Marketin Song Seung-Hyeon Reporter] A startup that verifies the hardware and software combinations required for computer vision without building camera prototypes has secured seed funding.

According to the venture capital (VC) industry on the 22nd, QBlack AI, a computer vision design and data platform company, received seed investment from Partners Lounge and Korea Investment Accelerator.

The performance of Vision AI varies depending on the combination of shooting environment, camera (hardware), and AI algorithms (software). Conventional development methods relied on building prototypes and iterative testing to find the optimal combination, a process that required significant time and cost.

QBlack AI has developed digital twin technology using its proprietary physics simulation engine. This allows the company to evaluate various combinations of shooting environments, cameras, and AI algorithms on a single platform without the need for physical cameras. The company explains that it enhances AI performance by providing high-quality synthetic data that reflects the physical characteristics of camera hardware, and resolves performance discrepancies between training and deployment environments by evaluating algorithm performance in conjunction with the hardware. This approach aims to reduce the development burden by shifting the prototype production stage to simulation.

Byeon Sang-hoon, Team Leader at Korea Investment Accelerator, stated, “QBlack AI has dramatically shortened the product development cycle—which previously took several weeks—to within a few minutes through technology that enables end-to-end simulation of the computer vision development process.” He added, “We decided to invest because we believe the company will grow into a global leader in the ‘Physical AI’ era.”

Jeong In-oh, a partner at Partners Lounge, highlighted market shifts and the team’s capabilities. “As the robotics industry matures, cameras are no longer evaluated as individual components but as part of the entire recognition system,” said Partner Jeong. “We were impressed that a team with expertise in both optical physics and camera manufacturing is building the verification infrastructure needed during this transition.”

QBlack AI plans to use the investment funds to hire development personnel and advance its simulation technology. The company has also been selected for Korea Investment Accelerator’s “Barun Donghaeng” program and the “US Forged” program organized by D.Camp and HAX. CEO Kim Jun-sung stated, “With our differentiated technological capabilities, we will redefine the integrated hardware and software standards for computer vision in the Physical AI era.”