Big money for unlisted bio ventures... M&A between venture and startup firms also on the rise

[For more diverse company information on the startups mentioned in this article, please visit the Unicorn Factory big data platform 'Data Lab'.]

During the second week of September (September 7–11), major investment news continued in the bio and medical sectors within the venture capital market. Although the bio and medical fields have recently been overshadowed by the surge in AI (artificial intelligence) and semiconductor investments, they remain a key area accounting for 17.0% (third place) of total venture investment in the first half of the year. Additionally, two cases of M&A (mergers and acquisitions) between venture and startup firms were reported.

The companies acquired or that secured funding during this period include: Lead Engineering, CreateTrip, Tau Medical, Amipharm, Aidin Robotics, ATopUniverse, PelleMed, DeepFusion AI, Kite Electronics, Visit, Double M Social Company, HyperVisual AI, and WithDoctors — totaling 13 companies.

Tau Medical, a company developing medical devices for treating heart valve diseases, has secured 50 billion won in pre-IPO investment. Investors flocked to the company after it was recognized as having strong potential to grow into a global medical device firm.

Tau Medical is a startup founded in 2014 by Kim Jun-hong, a professor at Pusan National University Shim Jang-nae-gwa (Prof.). The company has developed a medical device that treats heart valves by inserting a catheter through veins without open-chest surgery. It can also be applied to severely ill patients who previously could not undergo surgery. Clinical trials are currently underway in Korea, Europe, and India.

This round was led by Wonik Investment Partners, with participation from Time Portfolio Asset Management, Smilegate Investment, Vision Equity Partners, and Lofty Rock Investment. Tau Medical is expected to accelerate its IPO process after selecting Mirae Asset Securities and Eugene Investment & Securities as lead underwriters in May.

The investment industry expects that once market clinical approval is obtained, the company will quickly capture the market due to its ability to treat patients for whom open-chest surgery is difficult. It is estimated that there are over 2 million potential patients in the United States alone who cannot undergo open-chest surgery due to advanced age and other factors.

Amipharm, a company developing local fat-reduction injections, has secured 205 billion won in pre-IPO investment.

Amipharm is developing the local fat-reduction injection 'AYP-101'. The injection is formulated with soybean phosphatidylcholine (SPC) as its main ingredient and focuses on reducing local adverse reactions such as pain, swelling, bruising, and nodules. It has completed domestic Phase 1, 2, and 3 clinical trials and is currently undergoing item approval review by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety.

Participants in this round include Korea Investment Value Asset Management, NH NongHyup Bank, Magna Investment, Hyundai Technology Investment, IBK Capital, Daishin Securities, Hyundai Investment Partners, Samho Green Investment, and Dongwon Technology Investment.

Amipharm plans to accelerate its KOSDAQ IPO based on this investment round. It is currently conducting a technology evaluation for a special listing under the guidance of lead underwriter Daishin Securities. The target is a KOSDAQ listing in the first half of 2027.

Aidin Robotics, a company specializing in robotic sensory intelligence technology, has secured 16 billion won in strategic investment from HD Hyundai Robotics and Samsung Venture Investment.

Aidin Robotics is a research-based startup founded in November 2019 by Choi Hyuk-ryul, a professor of mechanical engineering at Sungkyunkwan University and robotics expert, and Lee Yun-haeng (CEO), a PhD graduate from the same research lab. The company's technology enables robots such as humanoid models to perceive and self-adjust the force when they come into contact with objects.

HD Hyundai Robotics selected Aidin Robotics as a partner to jointly prepare for automation in shipbuilding and heavy industry sites and the advent of the humanoid era. Through this investment, Aidin Robotics plans to expand its surface-processing robot automation business from general manufacturing to the shipbuilding sector.

First, Aidin Robotics will jointly develop and apply surface treatment robot automation solutions for shipbuilding and heavy industry with HD Hyundai Robotics, and enter both domestic and international markets. Additionally, it will co-develop specialized robotic hands for shipbuilding and heavy industries to be mounted on humanoid robots currently under development by HD Hyundai Robotics.

Lee Yun-haeng (CEO) stated, "If robots cannot perceive and control force and contact themselves, humanoids cannot enter the field." He added, "We will demonstrate business value through secured resources and customers and focus on completing the robot component ecosystem in Yangsan."

DeepFusion AI, which develops real-time surrounding perception systems based on 4D imaging radar data, has secured 3.8 billion won in Series A investment from the Credit Guarantee Fund and IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, among others.

Founded in 2022, DeepFusion AI develops software that analyzes multiple 4D imaging radar data in real time to recognize and implement a 360-degree all-around environment. Instead of combining multiple sensors such as cameras and LiDAR (LiDAR), it uses only radar signals to reduce sensor costs. The company also received the top innovation award in the AI category at CES 2026 this year.

The investment industry decided to invest in DeepFusion AI, recognizing its wide scalability beyond autonomous vehicles to ships, agricultural machinery, and road infrastructure. It is also expected that the company will achieve results in defense sectors such as unmanned surface vessels, unmanned combat ships, and ground unmanned systems.

[MoneyToday startup media platform Unicorn Factory]