AI-based cybersecurity Korean company AI SPERA (CEO Kang Byung-tak) announced that it has secured an additional investment of 12 billion won (USD 8.5 million), bringing its cumulative funding to an impressive 23 billion won (USD 16 million).
KB Investment led this funding round, with participation from JB Investment, Kyobo Life Insurance, and Smilegate Investment. Investors highlighted AI SPERA’s strong position in the growing global cybersecurity market, its technological innovation, and its expanding global market presence.
Previous investments by strategic partners like NHN and Netmarble, as well as individual investments by NCsoft CEO Taek-jin Kim and Director Song-i Yoon, further boosted investor confidence. The involvement of Professor Hwi-gang Kim, a renowned authority on cybersecurity and Korea University’s first professor with a hacker background, as co-founder, also received high praise.
AI SPERA is the creator of ‘Criminal IP’, an integrated cybersecurity solution that leverages Attack Surface Management (ASM) and Threat Intelligence (TI) to deliver real-time risk analysis and vulnerability insights. By pioneering the subscription-based Security as a Service (SECaaS) model in Korea, similar to global leaders like Google Mandiant and Recorded Future, the company has revolutionized the cybersecurity landscape.
‘Criminal IP’ is currently deployed by government agencies, financial institutions, and large corporations in over 150 countries. Its subscription-based approach, which eliminates the need for on-site personnel or complex installations, has driven steady Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) growth and boosted profitability.
Kim Seung-hwan, Director at KB Investment, stated, “AI SPERA’s Criminal IP is already generating significant international sales as a SaaS subscription product. We believe it has realistic potential to establish itself as a global cybersecurity leader, which is why we decided to invest.”
With the new funding, AI SPERA plans to enhance its AI capabilities, expand its international market share, and pursue an IPO within the next three years. CEO Kang Byung-tak remarked, “We aim to position AI SPERA as a global leader in cybersecurity, showcasing South Korea’s competitive edge in technology and proving our team’s capability to rival top global security companies.”
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