Nearthlab

Counter-drone and attack-drone maker Nearthlab listed on KOSDAQ on August 24, 2026 after pricing its IPO at the top of the range at 41,200 won per share, with institutional demand of 743.5 to 1. The offering raised roughly 37.5 billion won at an implied market capitalization of about 238 billion won. First-half 2026 revenue reached 17.4 billion won, seven times the prior year, and the company posted its first-ever quarterly operating profit in the second quarter. Defense accounted for 86% of first-half revenue, driven by a roughly 14.9 billion won Middle East shipment of the Jaiden (XAiDEN) swarm kamikaze drone, described as Korea's largest single drone export to date. It is the first defense-sector drone company to go public in South Korea.

Satellite-imagery AI company SIA and Myongji University opened a Defense AI Center on the university's Natural Sciences Campus on August 21, 2026, an industry-academia platform that pairs university research space with SIA's equipment to field-test and validate defense AI, geospatial intelligence, ISR, and unmanned-systems technologies. Founding participant startups include Nearthlab, Seadronix, Pablo Air, Alice Group, Pebblous, and NSM. The center is framed explicitly as a demonstration ecosystem to help defense startups validate products faster, addressing the shortage of realistic test environments that Korean defense-tech founders routinely cite.

Counter-drone startup Nearthlab signed a business cooperation MOU with LIG Defense & Aerospace on June 2, 2026 to jointly develop and market interceptor drone capabilities for the global integrated air defense market. The agreement pairs Nearthlab's AI software and autonomous-flight interceptor drone technology with LIG D&A's integrated air defense system portfolio. Under the framework the two plan to develop large-scale drone hard-kill proximity defense systems, build derivative interceptor drones sized against large drone threats, and expand cooperation across domestic and export markets for large-drone interception. The tie-up connects one of Korea's most prominent defense startups to a top-tier systems integrator and aligns with DAPA's hard-kill interceptor drone R&D push and the military's broader counter-drone programmes.

Korean defense startups are increasingly acting as mentors and pathfinders for the broader K-defense ecosystem's global expansion. The government's 2030 plan to nurture 100 defense startups and 30 venture firms with over 100 billion won revenue is gaining traction, with startups in AI, drones, robotics, and autonomous systems shaping dual-use innovation. Pablo Air is developing one-way attack drones after raising 11 billion won in a pre-IPO bridge round, while Nearthlab's KAiDEN anti-drone system has secured contracts with Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian countries. The K-Defense Startup Hub, designated through Creative Economy Innovation Centers, provides offline support for commercialization and technology transfer from defense research institutions.

Drone startup Nearthlab, maker of the "Kaiden" autonomous interceptor drone, signed a $10M export contract with a Middle Eastern country last year. The company aims to become the first drone company to go public in South Korea, targeting a KOSDAQ listing within 2026, and plans to use IPO proceeds to set up local subsidiaries in the United States and Europe.