POSCO invests $4.6 mil. in Brils to accelerate AI-driven factory push

POSCO Group has invested 7 billion won ($4.64 million) in Brils, an advanced robot solutions provider, marking a strategic step to accelerate its group-wide transition toward automation and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven manufacturing, the steelmaker said Tuesday.

The investment was conducted through a combination of 5 billion won from POSCO Holdings’ strategic fund and 2 billion won from the firm’s in-house venture capital fund.

The move reflects the group’s broader push to expand beyond conventional manufacturing into advanced automation systems, it said.

POSCO aims to integrate its decades-long industrial expertise with Brils’ capabilities in robot design and control systems. The two sides plan to jointly develop automation operating systems, moving beyond simple robot manufacturing to build what the company calls an “intelligent factory.”

An intelligent factory is a next-generation form of smart factories, incorporating collaborative systems among humans, AI and robots to enable autonomous and adaptive manufacturing processes.

POSCO said it will prioritize deploying customized robots in high-risk and labor-intensive operations to enhance workplace safety while improving productivity.

The group has steadily expanded its footprint in robotics through investments in emerging firms. They include Aidin Robotics, Tesollo, Neuromeka and Persona AI, with total investments reaching 19 billion won to date.

POSCO pledged to scale up the adoption of robotics and AI-based autonomous processes across its operations, so it can accelerate the spread of intelligent factories and advance its broader AI transformation.

Founded in 2015, Brils is a leading domestic system integration company with more than 110 related patents. The firm has gained recognition for supplying automation solutions to major industrial clients, including Hyundai Motor and SK Ecoplant, and is scheduled to go public on the secondary Kosdaq later this year.

Brils’ sales last year reached 23.8 billion won, up 26.8 percent from the previous year. It also turned into a surplus with an operating profit of 2.4 billion won in 2025.