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LG Electronics is bet on robotics as its next big growth number one wood . The South Korean electronics company order on Friday that it has agreed to get an additional 30 % stake in Bear Robotics , a California - based startup itpreviously backedthat is building AI - powered server robots for restaurants . The deal give LG a legal age ownership of 51 % in the inauguration , which will now become a subsidiary of the large caller . LG declined to annotate on the note value of its latest stakes ; alocal outlet in Koreasays it ’s around $ 180 million . If accurate , that would give Bear an overall rating of $ 600 million .
A caller interpreter added that the accurate figure would be disclosed once the mint closes .
Bear is known for its expertise in AI applied science that is capable of control multiple robot , specifically the management of fleets remotely , LG said in its affirmation . The technical school titan intends to desegregate Bear with its commercial robot unit of measurement , which has developed “ LG CLOi Robots , ” to reenforce its home automaton and industrial golem divisions .
The technical school behemoth state it is working on developing a comprehensive software platform for commercial , industrial , and home golem using Bear ’s technology . With the robotics industry act more toward AI - focalize solutions , this investment and spate is expected to improve LG ’s robotics package capabilities , LG said .
The news show comes less than a yr after the electronics party poured $ 60 millioninto Bear Robotics in March 2024 . That deal already made LG into Bear ’s largest shareholder . Bear ’s previous funding in 2022 valued it at over $ 490 million , per PitchBook data point .
CEO and founder John Ha and the Bear management squad will rest and continue to help create synergies with LG ’s robotics social unit .
Ha , a former Google software technologist turned restaurateur , base Bear in 2017 after find the challenge of running a restaurant , which motivated him to develop serve robots . The SoftBank - back startup operates indoor rescue robot in the U.S. , South Korea , and Japan . Its robots are project to help deliver solid food to restaurant customers .
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“ This extra investment funds underline our dedication to position golem as a pivotal growth engine for the companionship , reverberate our opinion in their inevitable purpose in the future , ” Lee Sam - soo , chief strategy officer at LG Electronics , say in its statement . “ We will persist in driving innovation across all sphere of robotics , embrace commercial , industrial and home software . ”
Robots and robotics were a big theme this twelvemonth at CES 2025 , and LG made itself a part of that write up , with LG CEO William Cho underline the potential for robots to broaden their applications beyond their current role in sphere like cordial reception and delivery logistics .
LG ’s pastime in the tech depart back well before this year and the recent vogue of AI in everything , with both Korea and Japan being early commercial-grade adopter of some of the earliest iterations in the field . The Korean electronics company has been researching and educate robot software and hardware for more than a decade . In 2017 , LG deployed guide automaton at South Korea ’s largest airdrome , Incheon International Airport .
LG’s home and industrial robots
LG also has a substantial home robotics stage business by style of its LG Home Appliance Solution Division . Its home automaton are designed to work with plate appliances and other domesticated scenarios . One instance is the ego - driving AI home hub , a task key Q9 , which is scheduled for release later this yr . It has autonomous driving engineering and can feel voices , sound , and picture . The Q9 has Microsoft ’s phonation identification and synthesis technology , so substance abuser can have easy and lifelike conversations with it .
Its industrial robot , the “ Autonomous Vertical Articulated Robot , ” uses sensing element to sail , move , and carry out tasks with its automatic arm .
Samsung , LG ’s rival in the electronics sphere , tell earlier this calendar month that it will roll out its home base robotin the first one-half of this year .
