KNS Posts Record Revenue Last Year on Robots and Physical AI

On February 6, advanced unmanned automation specialist KNS Co., Ltd. announced that it had posted its highest-ever revenue, driven by the full-scale launch of its robot supply business in Vietnam and the acquisition of its new subsidiary, Eunsung FA.

KNS’s consolidated revenue for last year came in at 41.2 billion won, up 53% year-on-year. In particular, revenue from its Vietnamese subsidiary increased by about 44% compared with the same period a year earlier, making a significant contribution to the company’s overall revenue growth.

However, over the same period, the company carried out a big bath related to valuation losses on inventories, posting an operating loss of 1.5 billion won and a net loss of 1.0 billion won, thereby swinging to a loss. These losses arose because projects by secondary battery manufacturers and electric vehicle manufacturers, which had been its key downstream markets, were canceled or delayed in the aftermath of the chasm, leading the company to recognize valuation losses on equipment that had been manufactured in advance. This is an accounting loss and does not represent an actual cash outflow.

KNS expects to return to a stable performance improvement trend this year as the era of physical artificial intelligence (AI) begins in earnest. Its Vietnamese subsidiary, which manufactures robots and other equipment, has recently secured large-scale follow-up orders, and the commercialization of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), developed jointly with a local robotics company, is also imminent.

A KNS official said, "After the chasm, we have proactively strengthened our capabilities in unmanned automation equipment across various industries," adding, "With the arrival of the physical AI era this year, the preparatory work we have done so far is expected to start translating into tangible results."