Kakao Ventures, a venture capital (VC) specializing in ultra-early-stage startups, emphasized the 'digitalization of the logistics industry' from a global perspective and introduced startups leading related innovations.
On the morning of the 27th, Kakao Ventures held a brown bag meeting titled 'Kakao Ventures Logistics Family Heading Global' at Maru360 in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, to introduce this investment direction. The brown bag meeting is an event organized to introduce startups invested in by Kakao Ventures and provide opportunities for exchange.
On this day, Shin Jeong-ho, Senior Investment Manager at Kakao Ventures, said, "Companies aiming to solve numerous problems faced by the global logistics chain with advanced technology are steadily emerging, and the use of logistics services in B2C (business-to-consumer) form is increasing. As various issues such as securing materials, labor costs, exchange rates, and safety arise, investments or technologies that complement the risks of logistics businesses are emerging."
Over the past decade, Kakao Ventures has invested in seven ultra-early-stage companies based on logistics-related technologies. They have focused on startups innovating the logistics value chain based on technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and the Internet of Things (IoT). TechTaka and Plotic, which collaborate based on integrated logistics platforms and robot operation systems, are representative examples creating new opportunities in the global logistics industry. Contoro Robotics, a company automating loading and unloading at logistics centers using robotic arms, and MasAuto, a company developing autonomous driving technology for trucks to automate logistics, are also making their presence felt in the global market.
At the Kakao Ventures Brown Bag Meeting held on the 27th at Maru360 in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Shin Jeong-ho, Senior Investment Officer at Kakao Ventures, is explaining the investment direction related to the logistics industry. Photo by Kim Dae-hyun
At the brown bag meeting, TechTaka and Plotic conducted market analysis and company introductions. TechTaka, which gave the first presentation, operates 'Argo,' a global integrated logistics platform that connects e-commerce logistics from domestic to overseas markets in a one-stop manner. Founded in 2020, it received seed investment from Kakao Ventures in the same year. Last year, it secured a Series B investment worth 12.6 billion KRW from Altos Ventures.
Yang Soo-young, CEO of TechTaka, said, "The Argo system uses advanced technologies such as machine learning and AI to minimize costs and improve efficiency in the logistics systems of various commerce." He added, "Although the Korean e-commerce market is stagnating, exports of Korean brands are increasing. As various distribution channels are created beyond the traditional Amazon-centric model, various strategies and services to attract and retain customers have become important."
CEO Yang stated, "TechTaka supports all areas from export preparation to sales and provides solutions for regulatory and language issues in each market. It realizes stable logistics without fragmentation and maximizes resource efficiency through system integration."
The second presenting company, Plotic, is a startup providing warehouse automation solutions based on swarm autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). It offers 'Flora,' a platform that helps easily introduce and efficiently operate robots in logistics centers. Utilizing an AI-based VLA (Visual, Language, Action) model, it optimizes robot introduction and operation within logistics centers and facilitates easy integration with existing logistics systems. In particular, it designs optimal routes within logistics centers using map editors and simulation tools and enhances operational efficiency by linking warehouse management systems (WMS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP). KV made a seed investment in Plotic in 2021.
Lee Se-hyung, Vice President of Plotic, said, "Through platform innovation that creates a robot ecosystem community, a market structure is being formed where robot manufacturers, solution providers, and field managers all win-win-win." He also added, "We are transforming from a hardware-centered company to a software-centered company led by Flora. Recently, we obtained FCC certification necessary for entry into the U.S. market and are expanding globally by collaborating with Jordi, a robot AI startup based in Boston. We are currently expanding into Europe and Asia and creating synergy by collaborating with TechTaka."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
