South Korean startup ROBOROAD has secured seed funding to advance its AI-powered robotic systems for unmanned road pavement maintenance. The round was backed by Seoul Techno Holdings, BNK Venture Investment, and BDC Accelerator. The company has also been selected for South Korea’s TIPS program, which will provide approximately $343,000 in government R&D funding over two years.
Founded in 2025, ROBOROAD is developing an integrated system that combines AI-based road inspection, autonomous repair robots, and pavement management software. The platform is designed to reduce reliance on manual labor and visual inspections by automating pothole detection and repair. A recent proof-of-concept demonstration in Gyeonggi Province showcased an autonomous robot conducting live pavement repairs.
The funding highlights growing interest in applying robotics to public infrastructure. By targeting labor-intensive and safety-critical maintenance tasks, ROBOROAD is positioning automation as a tool to lower operational costs, reduce worker exposure to traffic risks, and improve response times in urban infrastructure management.
