Korea Robot Sports Association

What Korea Robot Sports Association does

Korea Robot Sports Association (KRSA, 대한로봇스포츠협회) is a non-profit foundation under South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT that organizes international robot sports competitions and youth STEM education programs. Its portfolio centers on two flagship events: the International Robot Olympiad (IRO), the world's largest youth robot competition with 13,000+ annual participants across 30+ partner countries, and the FIRA RoboWorld Cup, an advanced robot football competition with 500+ annual participants featuring categories including MiroSot (small-robot soccer), SimuroSot (simulation), AndroSot (Android-based), and HuroSot (humanoid robot soccer). The association also operates the AI Robot School and Camp in partnership with KAIST and the Robot Intelligence Technology Center (RIT), the annual Daejeon Robot Convergence Festival, and the International Robot Contest (IRC) series.

The underlying technology traces to the MiroSot system — the world's first robot football system — invented by KAIST Professor Kim Jong-hwan in 1995. Competition frameworks rely on computer vision, real-time AI decision algorithms, and cooperative multi-agent control. KRSA was founded as the Korea Robot Soccer Association in 1999 and renamed in 2017 to reflect an expanded scope beyond robot soccer. Its sponsorship as both an international standards-setter (founder of FIRA in 1997) and a Korean designated donation organization (valid through 2028) underpins operational continuity.

The business model is hybrid non-profit: tiered corporate sponsorships (Bronze at KRW 1-3 million, Silver KRW 3-5 million, Gold KRW 5-10 million, Platinum KRW 10 million+, on multi-year contracts with naming rights and brand placement) plus tax-deductible individual and corporate donations channeled through a Shinhan Bank account. Supplementary revenue comes from registration fees for regional qualifiers, world championships, AI Robot School tuition, and ancillary events like the Daejeon Robot Convergence Festival. Customer segments are youth students (K-12) and university/graduate participants as primary end-users, with corporate sponsors and individual donors as funding counterparties; international partner-country organizations function as distribution/qualification channels.

Name

Korea Robot Sports Association

Legal name

(사)대한로봇스포츠협회

Website

https://krsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Korea Robot Sports Association is a South Korean non-profit foundation under the Ministry of Science and ICT that operates the International Robot Olympiad (30+ partner countries, 13,000+ annual youth participants) and the FIRA RoboWorld Cup robot football competition, delivering AI/robotics education programs with KAIST and the Robot Intelligence Technology Center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Robotics Education and Competition Services

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Robotics Learning Platforms (EDAFANAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE), AI & Machine Learning for Robotics Programs (EDAMADAK), Robotics & Engineering Summer Camps / Bootcamps (EDAMADAF)

Keywords

• Robot sports competitions
• Youth robotics education
• International robot olympiad
• Robotics STEM programs
• Robot soccer federation

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorship: Tiered corporate sponsorship packages (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) ranging from KRW 1 million to 10 million+, providing brand exposure through competition venues, banners, uniforms, and event naming rights
2. Donations: Designated donation organization status since 2017 (renewed through 2028), accepting donations via bank transfer with tax deduction benefits for donors. Shinhan Bank account 140-008-057806

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Korea Robot Sports Association (KRSA) operates international robot sports competitions and youth robotics education programs. Its core offerings include the International Robot Olympiad (IRO), the world's largest youth robot competition with 13,000+ participants across 30+ partner countries, the FIRA RoboWorld Cup featuring robot soccer categories (MiroSot, SimuroSot, AndroSot, HuroSot), and the AI Robot School and Camp education programs developed with KAIST and the Robot Intelligence Technology Center.

Product overview

KRSA operates a portfolio of robot sports competitions and educational programs. The core products are the International Robot Olympiad (IRO) for youth and the FIRA RoboWorld Cup for robot soccer, along with AI Robot School and Camp education programs developed in partnership with KAIST and RIT. These offerings work together to promote robotics technology, foster future talent, and advance the robot culture content industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• International Robot Olympiad (IRO): International youth robot competition held annually since 1999, with over 30 partner countries and 13,000+ participants
• FIRA RoboWorld Cup

Products and services

• International Robot Olympiad (IRO) Annual youth robot competition held since 1999, operated across 30+ partner countries with 13,000+ annual participants who compete in robot design and SW programming challenges. Includes regional qualifiers, national finals, and world championships.
• FIRA RoboWorld Cup World's first international robot soccer competition featuring MiroSot, SimuroSot, AndroSot, and HuroSot categories, applying computer vision, AI algorithms, and cooperative control technologies. FIRA was founded by KRSA in 1997.
• AI Robot School and Camp Youth education program operated in collaboration with KAIST and the Robot Intelligence Technology Center (RIT), providing systematic learning of AI and robotics technologies for future talent development.
• Daejeon Robot Convergence Festival Annual festival since 2010 featuring IRO regional qualifiers, AI Soccer Cup, and IRO Camp activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13,000+ youth participants annually through IRO competitions across 30 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• IRO (International Robot Olympiad)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999International Robot Olympiad (IRO), first held in 1999, is the world's largest youth robotics competition organized by KRSA. The competition operates through 30+ partner countries with 13,000+ annual participants, including national qualifiers, finals, and world championships.
• FIRA (Federation International Robo-sports Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997Founded by KRSA in 1997, FIRA is the international robot football federation organizing the annual RoboWorld Cup and Championship competitions. KRSA serves as a founding member and ongoing organizer of FIRA events, with over 30 editions held across Australia, Austria, China, Germany, France, India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, USA, UK, Brazil, and other countries.
• KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995KRSA was founded based on the robot football system invented by KAIST Professor Kim Jong-hwan in 1995. KRSA continues partnership with KAIST for robotics education programs including youth robot and coding olympiads, robotics camps, and workshops. The first KAIST Robot Football World Tournament was held in 1996.
• RIT (Robot Intelligence Technology Center)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Robot Intelligence Technology Center (RIT) for operating AI Robot School and educational camps targeting youth. The program provides systematic learning of AI and robotics technology for future talent development.
• International Partner CountriescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor30+ partner countries including USA, China, Philippines, Thailand, Greece, Australia, Malaysia participating in IRO regional qualifiers and world championships. Countries serve as local channels for participant recruitment and competition organization.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Robot Intelligence Technology Center (RIT): KAIST-affiliated research center that partners with KRSA on the AI Robot School program. Comparable as an enabling/ecosystem participant in Korean youth AI-robotics education, though its primary mission is academic research rather than competition organization.
• ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute): Korean government-funded ICT research institute operating in the same AI and robotics ecosystem as KRSA. Comparable as a domestic ecosystem participant supporting Korean AI/robotics talent development, though as a research institute rather than competition operator.

Direct peers

• RoboCup Federation: International federation organizing RoboCup, the most prominent annual robot soccer/football competition. Directly comparable to FIRA RoboWorld Cup, both founded in the 1990s and built around robot football, though RoboCup has stronger academic research positioning and broader league structure.
• World Robot Olympiad (WRO): International robotics competition for school and university students organized across 90+ member countries. Closely comparable to IRO in target audience (K-12), competition-based STEM learning model, and member-country network structure.

Emerging players

• RoboCupJunior: RoboCup's youth league for students under 19, focused on robot soccer, rescue, and onstage performances. Directly comparable to IRO/FIRA youth categories as a school-age robotics competition platform, often operating alongside national RoboCup chapters.

Broad incumbents

• REC Foundation (Robotics Education & Competition Foundation): Operates VEX IQ, VEX V5, and VEX U competitions across 60+ countries with hundreds of thousands of annual student participants. Comparable as a youth robotics competition operator, with a similar partnership-based international expansion model to KRSA.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): Operates the world's largest youth robotics competition platform (FLL, FTC, FRC) reaching 80+ countries with millions of students. Directly comparable to KRSA's IRO as a STEM competition organizer serving K-12 and early university students, but at substantially greater scale.

Regional players

• Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy: US-based STEM robotics education provider offering structured curricula, teacher training, and competition prep. Comparable as a robotics education/competition preparation organization, though more curriculum-focused and geographically concentrated in North America.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Korea Robot Sports Association