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AirVility, an aviation and defense technology company, announced on the 1st that it has secured a 6.5 billion won Series A investment from US Silicon Valley venture capital firm S-J Partners.
This round was led by S-J Partners, with existing investor Stonebridge Ventures participating in follow-on funding. IBK Industrial Bank of Korea joined as a new shareholder. AirVility's cumulative investment raised so far amounts to 10.5 billion won.
AirVility will deploy the secured funds to enhance its air-to-air hard-kill drone interception system (C-UAS) capable of directly striking enemy drones mid-air and to build the Yangsan LINE. Based on a high-speed vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) platform, it plans to commercialize three types of interceptors: a net-gun type by year-end, and both direct-impact and launcher types by the first half of next year, establishing a three-tier interception LINE system. The onboard artificial intelligence (AI) systems mounted on these aircraft are designed to improve performance, enabling autonomous mission execution even in environments with limited communication capabilities.
Founded in November 2023, AirVility was co-founded by research teams from the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), who led the development of domestic aircraft such as the KT-1, T-50, and KF-21, along with personnel from Hyundai Motor and LG Electronics. Of its total 26 employees, 80% are engaged in research and development. The company has independently designed battery packs and flight control software to increase localization rates and was recently selected for the '2026 Scale-Up Tips' program by the Ministry of Space and Aerospace, securing 3 billion won in R&D funding.
Instead of using expensive missiles costing hundreds of millions to tens of billions of won per unit, AirVility is targeting overseas markets with its cost-effective solution that can shoot down enemy drones at a cost of only tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of won per engagement, coupled with rapid delivery timelines. It is reportedly in discussions with more than nine countries across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Latin America for supply agreements.
Lee Ki-ha, Managing Partner at S-J Partners, explained the investment rationale: "We highly value AirVility's ability to address the asymmetric cost problem in the drone defense market—where interceptors can cost hundreds of times more than the drones themselves—by combining high-speed eVTOL platforms with interceptor systems, as well as the strong development capabilities of its research team."
Lee Jin-mo, CEO of AirVility, stated: "We aim to complete a three-tier interception system by the first half of next year and expand our business beyond simple aircraft supply to selling integrated air defense systems. We will convert overseas discussions into actual contracts and achieve cumulative sales of 50 billion won by 2028."
[MoneyToday startup media platform Unicorn Factory]
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