Nearthlab
Nearthlab is a Seoul-based AI drone company that designs autonomous drones for defense (counter-UAS interceptors, swarm loitering munitions) and wind turbine inspection. It sells hardware and cloud analytics to defense ministries, defense integrators, and wind farm operators globally, with over 80% of revenue from overseas markets.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersSeoul, South Korea
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Nearthlab does
Nearthlab is a Seoul-based Physical AI drone company founded in 2015 that designs and manufactures autonomous drone systems for two primary markets: defense (counter-UAS and loitering munitions) and industrial inspection (wind turbine blade assessment). Its core technology is a vision-based AI flight stack that allows drones to navigate, lock onto targets, and capture imagery at high speed using camera-only perception, eliminating the need for expensive radar or lidar sensors. The defense product line comprises KAiDEN, a high-speed kinetic interceptor drone capable of destroying enemy drones at up to 250 km/h, and XAiDEN, a loitering munition with swarm deployment from a single launcher. The industrial product line includes the Pro2 autonomous wind inspection drone, the NearthWIND Mobile plug-and-play control app, and Zoomable, a cloud-based analytics platform for predictive maintenance.
The company generates revenue through hardware sales of defense drone systems (KAiDEN, XAiDEN, AiDEN) to defense ministries and integrators, and through a recurring software component tied to the NearthWIND and Zoomable platform for wind farm operators. Customer concentration sits heavily in defense ministries across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and North America, with over 80% of revenue derived from overseas markets; a $10 million Middle East supply contract anchors the current defense order book. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales with channel partnerships (Red Cat Holdings for North America, LIG D&A for integrated counter-drone systems in Korea, AIROD for Southeast Asia MRO) and industry-event presence (ADEX, Malaysia-Korea Defense Industry Seminar).
Nearthlab is pursuing a KOSDAQ listing in 2026 after receiving preliminary approval and an A-grade technology evaluation from the Korea Exchange, which would make it the first Korean drone-specialized company on the exchange. The business has historically raised capital across multiple venture rounds (cumulative funding exceeding 10 billion KRW), and additional strategic capital is implied by ongoing Series 3 extensions with POSCO Investment. Headcount of 51–100 employees supports a hardware-and-software integrated operating model rather than a pure software SaaS posture.
Nearthlab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Nearthlab
- Legal name
- NEARTHLAB
- Website
- https://nearthlab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Nearthlab is a Seoul-based AI drone company that designs autonomous drones for defense (counter-UAS interceptors, swarm loitering munitions) and wind turbine inspection. It sells hardware and cloud analytics to defense ministries, defense integrators, and wind farm operators globally, with over 80% of revenue from overseas markets.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Nearthlab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Autonomous Defense Drones
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Aircraft Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336413), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480), Aircraft & Parts (3720)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Autonomous Aerial Platforms (IMABAMAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Counter-UAS (C-UAS) Detection & Defeat Systems (IMABAOAN), Autonomy Software, AI & Mission Management (UAS/UXV) (IMABAIAH), Aerial Robotics (Drones & UAV Autonomy) (HDAAAIAG)
Keywords
Where Nearthlab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seoul
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Nearthlab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Defense Drones - KAiDEN & XAiDEN: Sale of autonomous defense drones and integrated mission-ready systems to defense ministries and military customers globally. Includes hard-kill counter-UAS solutions and swarm loitering munitions.
- Wind Inspection Software - NearthWIND & Zoomable: SaaS platform for wind turbine inspection combining autonomous drone hardware with cloud analytics for predictive maintenance.
- Defense Supply Contracts: International defense supply contracts including signed $10 million supply contract in Middle East.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Nearthlab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Nearthlab designs and manufactures AI-powered autonomous drones operating across two segments: defense (the KAiDEN high-speed kinetic counter-UAS interceptor and XAiDEN swarm loitering munition) and industrial inspection (the Pro2 autonomous drone for wind turbine blade inspection paired with the NearthWIND Mobile app and the Zoomable cloud-based analytics platform). The company delivers full-stack mission-ready systems combining proprietary vision-based AI flight software with rugged deployable hardware.
Product overview
Nearthlab is a Physical AI drone company offering a portfolio of AI-powered autonomous drone solutions. The company operates across two main segments: defense (KAiDEN, XAiDEN, AiDEN) and industrial inspection (Pro2, NearthWIND Mobile, Zoomable). The defense portfolio includes high-speed counter-UAS interceptors and swarming loitering munitions, while the industrial portfolio centers on autonomous wind turbine inspection combining drone hardware with cloud-based analytics software. Nearthlab developed its initial wind inspection business focusing on drone software before vertically integrating to build proprietary drone hardware for defense applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- KAiDEN: High-speed Counter-UAS drone solution
- XAiDEN
- Pro 2
- NearthWIND Mobile
- Zoomable
- AiDEN
Products and services
- KAiDEN High-speed kinetic interceptor drone designed as a hard-kill counter-UAS solution for defense ministries and military customers. Uses camera-only vision AI to detect, track, and intercept enemy drones at speeds up to 250 km/h, offering low-cost, high-precision defense against drone threats.
- XAiDEN Loitering munition capable of swarm operations designed for ground-based defense missions. Supports payload delivery, swarm deployment, and autonomous operations, with one launcher capable of stacking and deploying up to 10 drones for fast mobilization with minimal personnel.
- Pro2 Autonomous drone designed specifically for wind turbine inspections, utilizing proprietary vision AI technology to navigate turbine blades and capture detailed imagery at optimal distance even in strong winds. Targets wind farm operators seeking autonomous, safe, and cost-efficient inspection.
- AiDEN Public safety tailored autonomous drone solution for defense and security applications, providing advanced drone technology for public safety operations.
- NearthWIND Mobile Plug-and-play mobile application for wind turbine inspection, enabling field technicians to operate autonomous drones and capture inspection data using a mobile device.
- Zoomable Cloud-based analytics platform that processes drone-captured inspection imagery to detect damage and deliver actionable insights with greater speed and reliability for wind farm operators.
Quantifiable outcome
- Signed $10 million supply contract in Middle East for defense products
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Nearthlab
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Nearthlab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature5 records
Nearthlab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Red Cat HoldingscorePartnership with US defense company Red Cat Holdings for North American market entry and distribution of Nearthlab defense products.
- LIG D&AcoreStrategic partnership combining LIG D&A's integrated air defense system capabilities with Nearthlab's AI software and autonomous flight-based interceptor drone technologies to develop combat-ready counter-drone solutions. Includes rapid pilot projects for close-range counter-drone hard-kill defense systems, development of interceptor drone variants, and domestic and overseas exports.
- AIROD (Malaysia)minorMOU with Malaysia aerospace company AIROD establishing foundation for deeper cooperation in maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services in Southeast Asia.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Nearthlab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Epirus: US counter-electronics company whose Leonidas directed-energy system targets drone swarms. Emerging peer in the broader counter-UAS/counter-swarm category competing for similar defense program funding as Nearthlab's XAiDEN swarming loitering munition, though using a fundamentally different defeat mechanism.
- Red Cat Holdings: Nasdaq-listed small tactical drone provider whose Teal subsidiary serves US defense and homeland security customers. Both partner and competitor, as Red Cat distributes Nearthlab's KAiDEN in North America while also offering its own Black Widow and Teal platforms in adjacent tactical UAS categories.
Direct peers
- Liteye Systems: US-based counter-UAS integrator offering AUDS and SHIELD systems combining radar, EO/IR, and RF defeat technologies. Comparable to Nearthlab as a counter-UAS integrator serving military customers, though Liteye is more detection-heavy and Nearthlab more kinetic-intercept focused.
- DroneShield: Australia-listed counter-UAS vendor offering DroneGun and DroneSentry detection/defeat systems to defense and government customers globally. Highly comparable to Nearthlab in counter-UAS focus, customer type (defense ministries), and small/mid-cap public-market profile, though DroneShield is more detection-and-disruption focused while Nearthlab emphasizes kinetic interception and loitering munitions.
- D-Fend Solutions: Israeli counter-UAS specialist offering cyber-based RF takeover systems to defense and homeland security customers. Direct peer to Nearthlab's KAiDEN interceptor with a different defeat mechanism (cyber vs kinetic), serving similar military and critical infrastructure end markets.
- Cyberhawk Innovations: UK-based industrial drone inspection specialist for oil & gas, power, and wind assets. Comparable to Nearthlab's wind turbine inspection business in target customer, use cases (visual + thermal inspection), and recurring service/data model.
- Percepto: Israeli/US industrial inspection drone-in-a-box provider serving power, oil & gas, and mining operators. Direct peer to Nearthlab's industrial inspection segment (Pro2, NearthWIND, Zoomable), with similar autonomous-flight and analytics-platform value proposition for asset-heavy industries.
- Fortem Technologies: US counter-UAS company offering DroneHunter kinetic interceptor and SkyDome airspace awareness solutions. Closest direct comparability to Nearthlab's KAiDEN given its autonomous kinetic-intercept approach, though smaller and earlier in commercialization than Nearthlab's recent Middle East contract.
Broad incumbents
- Skydio: US autonomous drone manufacturer with strong vision-based AI navigation technology, now expanding into defense and public safety. Comparable to Nearthlab across both the vision-based autonomy moat and the pivot from commercial inspection to defense, but at much larger scale and with US defense certifications.
- Anduril Industries: US defense tech incumbent building the Lattice counter-UAS and autonomous systems platform with multi-billion-dollar backing. Competes with Nearthlab in counter-UAS procurement cycles, but operates at far greater scale and breadth, serving as the benchmark for what a scaled competitor in this category can become.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Nearthlab social profiles
Digital presenceNearthlab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Nearthlab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Nearthlab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds7 records
Investors21 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Nearthlab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Nearthlab
What does Nearthlab do?
Nearthlab designs and manufactures AI-powered autonomous drones operating across two segments: defense (the KAiDEN high-speed kinetic counter-UAS interceptor and XAiDEN swarm loitering munition) and industrial inspection (the Pro2 autonomous drone for wind turbine blade inspection paired with the NearthWIND Mobile app and the Zoomable cloud-based analytics platform). The company delivers full-stack mission-ready systems combining proprietary vision-based AI flight software with rugged deployable hardware.
Is Nearthlab a public or private company?
Nearthlab is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Nearthlab founded?
Nearthlab was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Nearthlab based?
Nearthlab is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does Nearthlab make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Defense Drones - KAiDEN & XAiDEN is the primary driver. The others are wind Inspection Software - NearthWIND & Zoomable and defense Supply Contracts.
Who are Nearthlab's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Epirus and Red Cat Holdings. Direct peers are Liteye Systems, DroneShield, D-Fend Solutions, Cyberhawk Innovations, Percepto and Fortem Technologies. Broad incumbents are Skydio and Anduril Industries.
Does Nearthlab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Nearthlab.
What industry is Nearthlab in?
Nearthlab's product category is Autonomous Defense Drones. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAMAC, Military Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Autonomous Aerial Platforms, with a secondary code of IMABAOAN, Counter-UAS (C-UAS) Detection & Defeat Systems. Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.