Ex-Samsung chip researcher takes 'Korean Palantir' to Kosdaq debut

Yoon Seong-ho, center, co-founder and CEO of MakinaRocks, poses with officials from the Korea Exchange (KRX) and brokerage industry representatives during a listing ceremony for the company’s Kosdaq debut at the KRX building in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of KRX

A former researcher at Samsung Electronics has successfully taken his physical artificial intelligence (AI) company MakinaRocks to the Kosdaq.

The company, co-founded in 2017 by Yoon Seong-ho, also known as Andre S. Yoon, debuted on the tech-heavy market on Wednesday, soaring fourfold from its initial public offering (IPO) price on its first day of trading.

After earning a PhD in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he worked as a semiconductor researcher at Samsung Electronics and as a machine learning manager at SK Telecom before launching MakinaRocks.

MakinaRocks provides physical AI solutions powered by “Runway,” an enterprise AI operating system designed for industrial environments, earning the company the nickname “Korean Palantir Technologies.”

When launching the company, Yoon focused on AI solutions designed for physical industrial environments, including manufacturing equipment, robotics and defense systems.

He has since spearheaded the adoption and operation of AI across a range of industries such as semiconductors, batteries, heavy machinery, automobiles and energy. His efforts to broaden the vertical AI ecosystem through the firm’s in-house AI platform led to his appointment in January as a 2026 regular member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, one of Korea’s highest engineering honors.

Yoon also serves as a private sector member of the Presidential Council on National AI Strategy, where he takes part in shaping the country’s AI policies.

MakinaRocks had already attracted strong market attention ahead of its listing, recording a retail subscription ratio of 2,807.8 to 1 during its May 11-12 public offering. Investor deposits reached about 13.87 trillion won ($9.2 billion).

The company had earlier posted a 1,196.1 to 1 competition ratio in institutional demand forecasting. Along with the full subscription of employee stock ownership shares, the results highlighted broad confidence from institutional investors, retail investors and employees alike.

Data from the Korea Exchange showed MakinaRocks closed at 60,000 won on its debut day, four times its IPO price of 15,000 won.

“I see significant opportunities in deploying AI to machinery and equipment already operating in industrial environments,” Yoon said. “Leveraging our operating system, we plan to deliver high-performance AI optimized for field operations and position ourselves as a global standard platform.”

Japan has been identified as a strategic base for the company’s overseas expansion, particularly due to strong demand for AI in the manufacturing sector. The company has already established a Japanese subsidiary and secured four contracts with local companies.

“Using Japan as our starting point, we intend to speed up our expansion into global markets such as Europe and the Middle East through strategic partnerships and strengthen our long-term growth foundation,” he said.