What Daedong Industrial does

Daedong Industrial is a South Korea-based, publicly traded (KOSDAQ: 000490) manufacturer of agricultural machinery founded in 1947 and headquartered in Daegu. The company produces tractors (HX Series AI Tractor, NEW HX Series, RX Series), combines (DH6135-A), rice transplanters (DRP80), multi-purpose transport vehicles (Mechron), agricultural robots (RT100-TS, Trobot), diesel engines, and agricultural drones, sold domestically through a dealer network with certified service master points and internationally via the KIOTI brand across 80 countries with dedicated regional websites in North America and Europe.

The company's technology stack centers on on-device vision AI for autonomous agricultural machinery, deployed in the HX Series AI Tractor launched in April 2026 as Korea's first commercially available AI tractor. The AI system uses six cameras to perform 360-degree environmental analysis, real-time path generation, and obstacle response entirely on-device without cloud dependency. An MLOps-based continuous learning pipeline accumulates operational data through the Operation Center data hub, improving model accuracy with each use. Three strategic future-business pillars (AI Precision Agriculture, AI Smart Farming, AI Field Robotics) are being developed alongside partnerships with Doosan Robotics (field robots), Daehan Steel (greenhouse smart farming), and government participation in Korea's K-On-Device AI Semiconductor program.

Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of tractors and agricultural equipment, supplemented by a growing precision agriculture service business and the Daedong Connect platform. The go-to-market model combines a domestic Korean dealer network, direct enterprise sales, an online parts mall (Naver Smart Store), and international distribution through KIOTI subsidiaries. 2025 IFRS consolidated revenue was KRW 1,484,722 million (approximately USD 1.07 billion) with a net loss of KRW 29,872 million after impairment charges. The company has set a 2030 revenue target of KRW 3.59 trillion (approximately USD 2.6 billion), representing roughly 2.4x growth driven by AI tractor global expansion (North America 2027, Europe thereafter), Turkey (5% market share target), and Africa (K-Ricebelt project across 7 countries).

Name

Daedong Industrial

Legal name

주식회사 대동

Website

https://daedong.co.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Daedong Industrial is a South Korean agricultural machinery manufacturer that produces tractors, combines, and rice transplanters under the Daedong and KIOTI brands across 80 countries, and is now commercializing on-device vision AI autonomous tractors and agricultural field robots for global markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Machinery

NAICS

Farm Machinery and Equipment Manufacturing (333111), Agricultural Implement Manufacturing (33311), Agriculture, Construction, and Mining Machinery Manufacturing (3331)

SIC

Farm Machinery & Equipment (3523), Special Industry Machinery, Nec (3559), Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537)

akta.pro primary industry

Autonomous Field Robots & Tractors (Driverless tractors, robotic carriers) (AFAAAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tractors & Power Units (IMAHACAA), Agricultural & Field Robotics (HDAAAIAD), Agricultural UAV/UGV Autonomy Platforms (Navigation, mission planning, fleet autonomy) (AFAAAGAF)

Keywords

• Agricultural machinery
• AI tractors
• Precision agriculture
• Agricultural robots
• Smart farming

Headquarters

HQ city

Daegu

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Machinery Sales: Sales of tractors (HX Series, RX Series), combines (DH6135-A), rice transplanters (DRP80), and other farm equipment. Core revenue driver with global brand KIOTI serving international markets.
2. Precision Agriculture Services: AI precision farming solutions, Daedong Connect platform, and data-driven agricultural services. Growing segment supporting smart agriculture transformation.
3. Agricultural Robots: Agricultural field robots including RT100-TS transport robot for fruit farming, T-Robot agricultural robots. Emerging category aligned with field robot strategy.
4. Smart Farm Solutions: AI smart farming greenhouse automation solutions with autonomous operation capabilities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Daedong Industrial manufactures and sells agricultural machinery including tractors, combines, rice transplanters, multi-purpose transport vehicles, agricultural robots, and diesel engines, marketed globally under the KIOTI brand. The company complements its hardware portfolio with AI-driven precision farming services, the Daedong Connect connected agriculture platform, and Korea's first AI tractor (HX Series) launched in April 2026 with on-device vision AI for autonomous operations.

Product overview

Daedong Industrial is a South Korean agricultural machinery company that operates as a unified portfolio of precision farming hardware, AI-powered autonomous field robots, and data-driven agriculture services. The core product line spans tractors (HX Series AI Tractor, NEW HX Series, RX Series), combines (DH6135-A), rice transplanters (DRP80), multi-purpose transport vehicles (Mechron), skid loaders, diesel engines, and agricultural robots (RT100-TS). These are complemented by precision farming services (정밀농업 서비스), the Daedong Connect (대동커넥트) platform, and agricultural drones. The three strategic future-business pillars — AI Precision Agriculture, AI Smart Farming, and AI Field Robotics — are coordinated through the Operation Center as an integrated data hub and monitoring system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HX Series AI Tractor: Korea's first AI tractor with vision AI-based autonomous operation technology for autonomous farming decisions
• HX Series
• RX Series
• DH Series Combines
• DRP Series Transplanters
• RT Series Agricultural Robots
• Mechron

Products and services

• HX Series AI Tractor Korea's first AI tractor with on-device vision AI enabling real-time autonomous path generation, obstacle response, and 360-degree vision analysis. 142 PS, 3,833CC displacement, ISOBUS, OTA, and smartphone-based multi-tractor control. Designed to address rural aging and labor shortages through unmanned autonomous farming.
• NEW HX Series Tractor High-end tractor line featuring powerful technology and luxury design. Includes power-shift transmission, remote management, and straight-line autonomous driving. Horsepower range 132-142 PS.
• RX Series Tractor Efficiency-focused tractor series optimized for operation, fuel economy, work performance, and management. Available in 59-74 PS range with power shuttle and Control4/Monitor5 features.
• DH6135-A Combine Korea's only combine harvester with yield monitoring and autonomous operation capability. Features 143 PS engine power, 2,000-liter grain tank, and 90-second unloading speed.
• DRP80 Rice Transplanter Rice transplanter featuring straight-line autonomous driving and latest automation functions. Operates at 1.6 m/s with 7-stage depth adjustment and electronic dial for planting depth-speed linkage. 8-row configuration.
• Mechron 2450/2460 Multi-Purpose Transport Vehicle Multi-purpose transport vehicle designed for rough terrain with maximum output of 24 PS, maximum speed of 30-50 km/h, 1-4 person capacity, and 300-500 kg load capacity with hydraulic dump loading. Off-road optimized.
• RT100-TS Agricultural Robot Agricultural transport robot for efficient orchard farming. 800W x 4 motor output, 300 kg maximum load, 40-degree dump angle, 30% climbing ability, exchangeable battery, year-round noise-free and emissions-free operation.
• Agricultural Robots (Trobot) Agricultural robots designed for autonomous movement and task execution in agricultural and industrial field environments. Represents Daedong's AI Field Robotics initiative to enable unmanned autonomous operations across the agricultural value chain.
• Agricultural Drones Agricultural drones for crop monitoring, spraying, and data collection in precision farming applications.
• Diesel Engines Diesel engines for agricultural machinery, covering various horsepower requirements for farm equipment applications.
• Precision Farming Service Precision agriculture service that connects all on-farm operations using data, AI, and autonomous work technology to improve accuracy, efficiency, and productivity while reducing costs. Part of the AI Precision Agriculture pillar.
• Daedong Connect Daedong's connected agriculture platform (대동커넥트) linking equipment, data, and farm operations through IoT and digital tools for remote monitoring and management. Centralized data hub coordinated with the Operation Center.

Quantifiable outcome

• Work time reduction of 10% or more compared to conventional tractor operations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Korea Ministry of Trade, Industry and EnergyminorOthers · 5 June 2026Daedong is listed as a participating company in Korea's K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Technology Development program (800.2 billion won budget through 2030). Program supports customized AI semiconductors for automobiles, IoT devices, home appliances, robotics, and defense systems including agricultural applications.
• Korea Institute of Materials ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Daedong Metals partnership for robot and mobility new alloy commercialization. Collaboration for developing advanced materials for robotics and mobility applications.
• Daehan SteelcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025MOU signed December 19 to jointly develop large-scale smart farming operations using AI solutions across the greenhouse agriculture value chain. Partnership combines Daedong's AI-based agriculture technology, data growth solutions, and agricultural robots with Daehan Steel's smart farm operations using waste heat utilization solutions. Aims to address climate challenges and support government smart agriculture dissemination initiatives with three-pronged cooperation covering technology development, business promotion, and industry expansion.
• Doosan RoboticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 October 2025MOU for joint development of on-device AI technologies and agricultural field robots. Doosan Robotics provides robotic arms and control systems while Daedong handles autonomous mobile platforms. Partnership includes development of mobile manipulators optimized for smart farms and unstructured farming conditions, and AI technology capable of human-level recognition for agricultural tasks. Joint application for government AI System-on-Chip project planned.
• Rural Development Administration (RDA) - K-Ricebelt ProjectminorOthers · 1 January 2023Daedong is one of the Korean agricultural machinery companies (alongside LS Mtron and Asia Technology) exporting equipment for the K-Ricebelt project. Equipment exports worth $2.3 million deployed to support rice cultivation in 7 African countries with goal of 11,140 tons of seed rice annually by 2027.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Kubota: Japanese agricultural machinery OEM with a directly comparable product portfolio across tractors, combines, rice transplanters, and engines. Closest geographic and product comparable to Daedong and a natural benchmark for AI/smart agriculture initiatives.
• LS Mtron: Korean agricultural machinery manufacturer explicitly mentioned alongside Daedong in the K-Ricebelt project. Directly comparable in product range (tractors, farm equipment) and Korean market positioning, including overlap in tractors and emerging field robotics.
• Mahindra & Mahindra (Farm Equipment): World's largest tractor manufacturer by volume focused on cost-effective mechanization across emerging markets. Comparable in size and Asian/African market orientation, including export-driven growth like Daedong's K-Ricebelt participation.
• Yanmar: Japanese agricultural machinery and engine manufacturer with comparable tractor, combine, and rice transplanter lines. Strong Asia presence and product overlap make it a direct comparable for Daedong's core offerings.

Broad incumbents

• John Deere (Deere & Company): Largest global agricultural machinery OEM with advanced autonomy products (See & Spray, autonomous tractors). Sets the competitive benchmark Daedong must meet as it expands to North America in 2027 and beyond.
• AGCO Corporation: Global agricultural equipment maker (Fendt, Massey Ferguson, Valtra, PTx) with growing focus on precision and autonomous farming. Broad incumbent whose product lines overlap Daedong's offerings across multiple geographies.
• CNH Industrial: Owner of Case IH and New Holland with substantial autonomy programs (including Raven). Broad incumbent whose tractor and combine product lines directly overlap Daedong's global offerings.

Emerging players

• XAG: Chinese agricultural drone and robotics company focused on precision spraying and crop monitoring. Comparable to Daedong's agricultural drone and AI precision agriculture product lines as an emerging Asia-based competitor.
• Naio Technologies: French agricultural robotics startup developing autonomous weeding and field robots. Comparable as a focused emerging player in the agricultural field robotics category Daedong is targeting with its AI tractor and Trobot initiatives.

Others

• Trimble Inc. Precision agriculture technology provider offering GNSS guidance, farm management software, and autonomy enablers. Adjacent ecosystem player comparable to Daedong's Daedong Connect platform and precision farming services stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@daedongtv
• Instagraminstagram.com/daedong_official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Daedong Industrial