Config Raises $27 Million Seed at $200 Million Valuation as Samsung Backs Robot AI Data Push
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · May 11
Config Raises $27 Million Seed at $200 Million Valuation as Samsung Backs Robot AI Data Push
4 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · May 11
$27 million in oversubscribed seed funding gives Config fresh backing from Samsung Venture Investment and lifts the Seoul- and San Jose-based startup’s valuation above $200 million, bringing total funding to $35 million.
Config sells the data layer for robotic foundation models rather than robots themselves, targeting manufacturers that want proprietary robot AI but face high costs collecting and labeling physical training data.
100,000-plus hours of human motion data already underpin that pitch, with Config saying its dataset is more than 30 times larger than AgiBot World, the biggest comparable open-source set.
Nearly 300 workers in Seoul and Hanoi produce the data, and the new capital will fund a push to 1 million hours, a cloud Robot-as-a-Service launch, and a goal of $10 million in ARR by end-2027.
Hyundai’s ZER01NE, LG Tech Ventures and SKT America joined the round, underscoring how Asia’s manufacturing-heavy economies are steering AI investment toward physical and industrial applications.
As AI simulation advances, is Config's real-world data collection a moat or a soon-to-be-obsolete expense?
What are the unseen costs and ethics of using hundreds of people to teach robots how to work?
Config’s $27M Seed Round: Building the World’s Largest Human Motion Dataset to Power Robotic Foundation Models
Overview
Config’s recent $27 million seed funding highlights strong strategic investor confidence in Asia’s AI sector, especially among major Korean industrial players. This confidence is rooted in the region’s robust manufacturing strength, which shapes both AI adoption and investment flows. Korean industrial leaders, with their deep expertise in manufacturing, are uniquely positioned to back and leverage physical AI advancements. By integrating AI into existing production processes and supply chains, these players aim to enhance efficiency and drive innovation, providing Config with a solid foundation for growth and global expansion.