Hyundai Motor Group, which has been promoting open innovation with generous investment in startups with promising technologies, will lead 10 cherry-picked startups to the world’s largest technology trade show CES for three years in a row this year.
South Korea’s largest auto group, the parent of the country’s top two carmakers Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., will introduce 10 Korean and foreign startups, in which they have invested, at the ZERO1NE booth at CES 2025, which will take place in Las Vegas from Jan. 7 to 10.
Of the 10 startups, two companies – advanced robotic hand developer Tesollo Inc. and AI-based 3D camera solution developer DEEP IN SIGHT Co. – have won the CES 2025 Innovation Awards.
This is the third year for Hyundai Motor Group to set up a ZERO1NE booth at the world’s largest annual tech extravaganza to introduce startups it has fostered through the group’s startup accelerating programs.
The Korean auto juggernaut has invested more than 1.3 trillion won ($884 million) in about 200 startups since 2017 to discover new ideas and technologies to drive innovation in areas ranging from mobility to artificial intelligence to connectivity to autonomous driving to electrification to hydrogen to robotics.
Startups with promising technologies in mobility, AI, robotics and ESG are given a chance to show off their innovation at the ZERO1NE booth this year.
ROBOTIC HAND AND 3D CAMERA
Tesollo will showcase DG-5F, a highly dexterous robotic hand capable of emulating human dexterity, during CES 2025.
It can grasp an object weighing up to 13 kilograms thanks to its finger with four rotary joints powered by actuators, or electric motors. It can also use tools to assemble and disassemble an object.
The startup has been working with Hyundai Motor Group to develop factory automation solutions and humanoids.
DEEP IN SIGHT will present its award-winning portable 3D spatial data scanner DIMENVUE Pro at the ZERO1NE booth.
The DIMENVUE Pro is powered by AI image processing technology on top of high-spec LiDAR and high-resolution RGM sensors.
It is designed to cater to the needs of professionals in architecture, civil engineering and construction as it can generate high-density data for 3D blueprints faster at lower costs than conventional tools.
Other startups at the ZERO1NE booth include SMART Tire Company, the developer of airless, superelastic tires that never go flat thanks to NASA’s original technology; Capture6 developing direct air capture (DAC) technology that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while producing additional freshwater; and Terracle boasting a technology that can convert plastic waste into raw materials using chemical recycling.
The rest are Narnia Labs with the 3D engineering data and AI solution technology, Madde with the silicon carbide (SiC)-based 3D printing technology, 3I Solution offering industrial neutron composition analyzers, Koop Technologies providing a comprehensive suite of insurance coverage for automation and InvaLab.
BIG BETS ON OPEN INNOVATION
ZER01NE is Hyundai Motor’s open innovation platform designed to create a rich ecosystem for creative talent, ranging from art and architecture to designers, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs.
At the center of the platform lies ZERO1NE Ventures, which consists of ZERO1NE Accelerator, ZERO1NE Fund, ZERO1NE Company Builder and Hyundai CRADLE.
Hyundai Motor Group has so far spun off 30 in-house startups, which have generated 280 billion won in revenue together and hired more than 800 people.
The Korean auto group will further accelerate open innovation through active partnerships with global talent and external partners, a company official said.
By Jin-Won Kim
jin1@hankyung.com
Sookyung Seo edited this article.
