ADSYSTEM

Field-Tested

에이디시스템

Korean drone startup building low-observable (stealth) VTOL reconnaissance UAVs and training multicopters for the military. Founded in May 2019 by former Air Force maintenance warrant officer Kim Jung-ho, with headquarters in Cheonan and a production plant and corporate R&D institute in Hwaseong. The AD-3000 stealth VTOL drone is in service with the Republic of Korea Army and a major domestic defense prime, and the armed AD-4000 is due in 2027. Core technologies are radar-signature reduction, non-GPS VIO/SLAM navigation, anti-jam datalinks, and evasive terminal flight, validated in Agency for Defense Development tests. Revenue was about KRW 2B in 2025 with roughly KRW 12B projected for 2026, and the company targets a KOSDAQ listing in 2028.

Founded

2019

Cheonan, South Korea

Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$14M

Website

Visit Site

UAV / Drone

Field Tests & Validation

ADD stealth and non-GPS navigation validation

| South Korea

Field Trial passed

Low-observable shaping with radar-absorbing material, VIO/SLAM non-GPS navigation, anti-jam datalink, and terminal-phase evasive flight were validated in Agency for Defense Development tests; radar cross-section reduction separately measured at Ohio State University's ElectroScience Laboratory.

Participants: Agency for Defense Development

Led to contract award

Source: Unicorn Factory (unverified)

Products & Technology

AD-3000 Stealth VTOL

Reconnaissance UAV

Deployed

Low-observable VTOL fixed-wing reconnaissance drone with non-GPS navigation, anti-jam datalink, and evasive terminal flight. Supplied to the ROK Army and a major domestic defense prime; set a domestic small-UAV record of 2 h 55 min continuous flight in May 2026.

mtow 15 kg

payload 2.5 kg

endurance 150 min

operating radius 30 km

rcs reduction ~80% (company figure; verified at Ohio State University ElectroScience Lab)

navigation Non-GPS VIO/SLAM

domestic content ~95%

AD-4000 Armed Stealth VTOL

Reconnaissance / Strike UAV

R&D

Larger stealth VTOL drone for reconnaissance and strike, able to carry weapons. Completion targeted within 2027; Series A proceeds fund its development.

mtow 35 kg

payload 10 kg

endurance 120 min (400 min hybrid)

operating radius 40 km

rcs reduction ~95% (company figure)

AD-2100 VTOL

Reconnaissance / Survey UAV

Deployed

Entry-level 4+1 VTOL fixed-wing UAV for civil and military reconnaissance and survey. First delivered in September 2020; 26 units ordered between December 2022 and July 2024.

mtow 7.8 kg

payload 1.2 kg

endurance 90 min

operating radius 30 km

AD-ME1 Training Multicopter

Training Drone

In Production

100 percent domestically made educational multicopter selected for the ROK Army's 500,000 drone warriors training program; 3,792 units under an KRW 8.7B contract due by December 2026.

domestic content 100%

quantity on order 3,792

Leadership

Kim Jung-ho (김정호)

Founder & CEO

Studied aerospace engineering; served as a Republic of Korea Air Force warrant officer maintaining reconnaissance and trainer aircraft, then led a development team at a civilian drone company before founding ADSYSTEM in 2019.

Kwon Tae-jun (권태준)

CTO

Government Contracts

Buyer	Description	Value	Status	Date
South Korea	3,792 AD-ME1 training multicopters for the Army's 500,000 drone warriors program, ~KRW 8.7B, delivery to designated units by December 27, 2026.	$6M	in_delivery	2026-07-30

Funding History

Series A

2026-09-16

Investors: LB Investment (lead), KDB, JB Investment, Smilegate Investment, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Mirae Asset Capital, Flux Ventures, Innopolis Partners

$10M

KRW 13B

Pre-A

2025-08-08

Investors: UTC Investment, Daekyo Investment, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, JB Investment, Korea University Technology Holdings

$2M

KRW 3B

Seed

2024-09-01

Investors: JB Ventures

$220,000

KRW 300M

Total Funding (Cumulative)

$14M

Milestones

2026-09-16

Closed a KRW 13B Series A led by LB Investment with KDB, JB Investment, Smilegate Investment, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Mirae Asset Capital, Flux Ventures, and Innopolis Partners, bringing reported cumulative funding to about KRW 18.4B. Proceeds fund a larger automated production facility and completion of the AD-4000.

2026-07-30

Signed a ~KRW 8.7B contract with the Armed Forces central contracting office for 3,792 AD-ME1 training drones for the Army, one of three suppliers selected alongside Alux and Preneu; delivery due by December 27, 2026.

2026-05

AD-3000 flew 2 hours 55 minutes continuously, described as a domestic endurance record for small UAVs.

2025-08-08

Closed a KRW 3B pre-A round from UTC Investment, Daekyo Investment, IBK Industrial Bank, JB Investment, and Korea University Technology Holdings. AD-3000 stealth VTOL already supplied to the ROK Army and domestic SMEs.

2024-10

Selected for the Deep Tech TIPS program; KRW 300M seed investment from JB Ventures.

2023-12

Formed a consortium with domestic partners to develop a next-generation stealth UAV.

2020-09

First AD-2100 VTOL UAV delivered.

2019-05

Company founded in Cheonan, Chungcheongnam-do.

Partners

• LIG Nex1
• Korea Aerospace Research Institute
• ETL (radar-absorbing coating)
• LB Investment
• KDB
• JB Investment

Target Markets

• ROK Army
• Korean defense primes
• Export (announcement expected per CEO, unverified)

Latest ADSYSTEM News

Stealth drone startup ADSYSTEM closes 13 billion won Series A led by LB Investment after Army training-drone win

ADSYSTEM (AD System), a Cheonan-based drone maker founded in May 2019 by former Air Force maintenance warrant officer Kim Jung-ho, closed a 13 billion won (~$9.9 million) Series A round announced September 16, 2026. LB Investment led, with KDB, JB Investment, Smilegate Investment, Mirae Asset Venture Investment, Mirae Asset Capital, Flux Ventures, and Innopolis Partners participating, taking reported cumulative funding to about 18.4 billion won after a 300 million won seed in 2024 and a 3 billion won pre-A round in August 2025. The company builds low-observable vertical-takeoff reconnaissance drones (the 15 kg AD-3000 in service and the 35 kg armed AD-4000 due in 2027) that navigate without GPS using visual-inertial odometry and SLAM, with anti-jam datalinks and evasive terminal flight validated in Agency for Defense Development tests. On July 30, 2026 it signed an 8.7 billion won Army contract for 3,792 AD-ME1 training multicopters, due by December 27, 2026 under the 500,000 drone warriors program. Proceeds go to a larger automated plant in Hwaseong and completion of the AD-4000.

Sep 16, 2026 | Money Today / Financial News / Seoul Economic Daily

startup ADSYSTEM drones funding

Data sourced from public reports, press releases, and official company materials. Last verified: 2026-09. See individual source citations for provenance details. Performance ratings, where shown, reflect sourced claims and are not KDReview endorsements.