Makinarocks Earns 'A, A' in Tech Exemption Listing Technical Evaluation

Industrial-specialized artificial intelligence (AI) company MakinaRocks is accelerating its listing push after passing a crucial gateway for KOSDAQ technology special listing. It received the highest grades of 'A, A' from two evaluation agencies designated by the Korea Exchange, officially recognizing its unparalleled technological prowess. MakinaRocks has selected Mirae Asset Securities as its lead underwriter and will commence listing procedures with the goal of an initial public offering (IPO) in the first half of 2026. MakinaRocks is a leading company developing vertical AI solutions optimized for specific domains such as manufacturing and defense. Based on its experience in AI commercialization, it holds over 100 patents, and particularly boasts proprietary technology in the field of 'AI-based design and optimization.' Their core platform, 'Runway,' supports the entire lifecycle of AI operations and possesses the strong advantage of operating stably even in closed network environments where high security is required. This 'Runway' has also proven its value in the global market. In the 'Global MLOps Market Map' published by U.S. market research firm CB Insights, it was the only South Korean company listed in the 'AI Development Platform' sector, and in the Global AIIA (AI Infrastructure Alliance), it solidified its position as an AI platform alongside global big tech companies such as AWS, Google, and Microsoft. Based on this technological prowess and market competitiveness, MakinaRocks, through 'Runway,' is successfully expanding its business beyond manufacturing into diverse areas such as defense and finance, recording steep growth, including a significant increase in contract value compared to the previous year. MakinaRocks, established in December 2017, has attracted approximately 50 billion won in strategic investments to date from leading domestic and international large corporations and venture capitalists, including GS, LG, SK, Samsung, Applied Ventures, POSCO, Hanwha, and Hyundai Motor Company. Furthermore, its technological leadership has been recognized on the global stage, including being selected as a World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Technology Pioneer (2020) and a CB Insights Top 100 AI Company in the World (2023). Recently, it has also been actively participating in key government AI and industrial innovation projects, such as the Ministry of Science and ICT's proprietary foundation model project, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Manufacturing AX Alliance, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's Defense Innovation Companies 100, thereby expanding its technological capabilities. Yoon Sung-ho, CEO of MakinaRocks, emphasized, "MakinaRocks' vision goes beyond 'replacing' people; it is to create specialized intelligence that 'evolves' industries themselves to achieve hyperproductivity." He expressed confidence, stating, "In the trend where AI firmly establishes itself as the language of industry, MakinaRocks' innovative value will be clearly demonstrated in both industrial sites and capital markets."