POSCO DX's $3M Robotics Bet, EIB's €50M AI Boost, and I-care's Unicorn Leap - Industrial AI Weekly #36
January 08, 2026 -
Industrial AI Weekly
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Welcome to this week's edition of Industrial AI Weekly.
POSCO DX has invested $3 million in the U.S. humanoid robot startup Persona AI to enhance automation and safety in industrial settings. Meanwhile, the European Investment Bank has committed €50 million to Comau for advancing research in robotics and automation technologies, focusing on innovation in industries like automotive and aerospace. In Belgium, I-care has reached unicorn status after a €20 million fundraising and refinancing round, aiming to boost growth and prepare for a future IPO.
NC AI, a subsidiary of NCSOFT, has launched its open-source AI model Baeki on Hugging Face, designed to address industry-specific needs in sectors such as manufacturing, defense, and logistics. Sankun has raised Series A funding led by Hyundai Investment Partners to enhance its AI-driven decision-making platform for construction procurement in South Korea. Additionally, Space Forge has successfully generated plasma on its ForgeStar-1 satellite, marking a milestone in in-space semiconductor manufacturing. This achievement demonstrates the potential for gas-phase crystal growth in low Earth orbit, paving the way for producing high-performance semiconductor materials.
Welcome to this week's edition of Industrial AI Weekly.
POSCO DX has invested $3 million in the U.S. humanoid robot startup Persona AI to enhance automation and safety in industrial settings. Meanwhile, the European Investment Bank has committed €50 million to Comau for advancing research in robotics and automation technologies, focusing on innovation in industries like automotive and aerospace. In Belgium, I-care has reached unicorn status after a €20 million fundraising and refinancing round, aiming to boost growth and prepare for a future IPO.
POSCO DX Invests $3M in Humanoid Robotics
POSCO DX has invested $3 million in U.S. startup Persona AI to boost automation and safety in industrial settings. Read more
EIB Invests €50 Million in Comau for AI R&D
The European Investment Bank has committed €50 million to Comau for advancing research in robotics and automation technologies, focusing on innovation in industries like automotive and aerospace. Read more
I-care Achieves Unicorn Status with €20 Million Round
Belgium-based I-care has reached unicorn status after a €20 million fundraising and refinancing round, aiming to boost growth and prepare for future investments. Read more
NC AI Releases Baeki Model on Hugging Face
NC AI, a subsidiary of NCSOFT, has launched its open-source AI model Baeki on Hugging Face, targeting industries like manufacturing and defense. The model is part of the VAETKI project and features over 100 billion parameters, optimizing efficiency by using only 11 billion during operation. Read more
Sankun Secures Series A Funding for AI Platform
Sankun has raised Series A funding to enhance its AI-driven decision-making platform for construction procurement, with Hyundai Investment Partners leading the investment. Read more
Space Forge Achieves Plasma Generation on ForgeStar-1
Space Forge has successfully generated plasma on its ForgeStar-1 satellite, marking a milestone in in-space semiconductor manufacturing. This achievement demonstrates the potential for gas-phase crystal growth in low Earth orbit, aiming to produce cleaner semiconductor materials. Read more
Google DeepMind and Boston Dynamics Enhance Hyundai Robots
Google DeepMind and Boston Dynamics are collaborating to integrate the Gemini AI model into Atlas robots for use in Hyundai factories, aiming to improve automation in manufacturing. Read more
CFS Partners with Siemens and NVIDIA for AI Digital Twin
Commonwealth Fusion Systems has teamed up with Siemens and NVIDIA to develop an AI-powered digital twin for its SPARC fusion machine, aiming to speed up fusion energy development. Read more
Hyundai to Deploy Humanoid Robots in US Plant by 2028
Hyundai Motor Group plans to introduce humanoid robots at its Georgia manufacturing facility starting in 2028. The robots, developed by Boston Dynamics, will initially perform parts sequencing tasks, with expanded roles expected by 2030. Read more
Caterpillar Introduces Cat AI Assistant for Worksites
The Caterpillar company has unveiled the Cat AI Assistant, a tool aimed at boosting productivity and safety on construction sites. Read more
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