[Digital Daily Reporter Bae Tae-yong] Korean AI semiconductor startup Rebellion has completed a Series C funding round totaling approximately 340 billion KRW, bringing its cumulative investment to 640 billion KRW and its company valuation to 1.9 trillion KRW. With the strategic investment from British semiconductor design IP company Arm, Rebellion has been recognized as a key partner in the global semiconductor ecosystem, solidifying its position as a representative AI semiconductor company in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region.
This investment indicates that Rebellion’s company valuation has more than doubled since its Series B round in January last year. Successfully raising 640 billion KRW in just 5 years since its founding is considered a testament to the potential of Korean venture capital in nurturing deep tech startups into global unicorns.
The participation of Arm in the investment is particularly notable, as it marks Arm’s first strategic investment in a startup in the APAC region. The two companies plan to continue their partnership in building high-performance, low-power AI infrastructure.
New investors in this round include ▲Samsung Ventures and Samsung Securities ▲Taiwan’s Pegatron Venture Capital (Pegatron VC) ▲InterVest ▲BonAngels ▲POSCO Technology Investment ▲Ju Sung Engineering ▲HL Group ▲Vision Equity Partners ▲KDB Capital ▲Medici Investment, among others. Additionally, international financial investors such as Singapore’s OCBC Bank-affiliated Lion X Ventures have joined, bolstering Rebellion’s global stature.
Existing investors such as ▲Korea Development Bank ▲SV Investment ▲Mirae Asset Venture Investment and Mirae Asset Capital ▲KB Investment ▲France’s Corelia Capital ▲No & Partners, and KB Securities ▲KT Investment ▲SDB Investment ▲Kakao Ventures ▲IMM Investment ▲Seoul National University Holdings also continued their support, maintaining confidence in Rebellion.
There is noticeable interest in the strategic synergy potential from new investors. Global electronics manufacturer Pegatron is collaborating as a partner in Rebellion’s REBEL-Quad module and server technology to support the expansion of global AI infrastructure. POSCO Technology Investment, Ju Sung Engineering, and HL Group are expected to explore synergies in the fields of materials, equipment, and mobility.
Leveraging this investment, Rebellion plans to expedite the mass production of its main product, the REBEL-Quad, and accelerate the development of its next-generation product, the REBEL-IO. Currently, the only company in Korea mass-producing AI semiconductors, Rebellion intends to maintain its technological leadership while expanding its business into the US and European markets, including the APAC regions like Japan and Malaysia.
Moreover, Rebellion is actively working on recruiting global talent and forming a global team that includes key overseas personnel. The company aims to play a pivotal role, alongside the government, in elevating South Korea to one of the top three AI powerhouses in the era of Physical AI.
Rebellion’s CFO (Chief Financial Officer), Shin Sung-kyu, expressed gratitude, saying, “We thank all the investors who have trusted in the potential of Korean startups and the capabilities of South Korea’s AI semiconductor industry.” He added, “This investment is a testament to the capability of the Korean capital market to foster globally competitive AI semiconductor companies. Rebellion will seize this funding as an opportunity for a new leap, contributing to positioning Korea as one of the top three AI powerhouses and achieving distinct results globally.”