What HB Technology does

HB Technology (주식회사 에이치비테크놀로러지) is a South Korea-based, KOSDAQ-listed (since December 8, 2004) industrial equipment and component materials supplier to the global display manufacturing supply chain. Founded in 1997 with initial focus on semiconductor test equipment, the company now operates two business divisions: an Equipment Business producing automated optical inspection (AOI) systems for LCD and AMOLED displays, laser repair systems, PCB AOI, and secondary battery inspection systems; and a Component Materials Business manufacturing light guide plates (LGP) and diffusion plates (DP) for LED TVs and monitors through a one-stop production process.

The company's underlying technology stack centers on high-precision optical inspection — it claims Korea's first domestically developed LCD AOI test equipment and the world's first AMOLED AOI test equipment — and on precision optical component manufacturing for backlight units. An AI/deep learning-based inspection module extends the equipment portfolio beyond legacy rule-based AOI. Operations span a headquarters and equipment management facility in Sejong Special Self-Governing City, two manufacturing sites in Cheonan (LGP/DP pressing and processing; laser and roll-stamp LGP patterning), and an R&D center (Central Research Institute) in Seongnam's Pangyo Silicon Park.

HB Technology generates revenue primarily through one-time capital equipment sales to display panel makers and through ongoing hardware sales of optical components, with go-to-market executed via direct enterprise field sales to major Korean and global display manufacturers. The company was designated a Korean World Class 300 Business in 2017 and reports having achieved record-high revenues for three consecutive years (2015-2017). Headcount is in the 101-250 range and stated capital stood at 39.4 billion KRW at end-2017. Note: the firmographics record lists "Pyongyang, North Korea," which conflicts with all other evidence (headquarters in Sejong, South Korea; Korean corporate registration number 129-81-23356; KOSDAQ listing); the South Korea location is treated as authoritative.

Name

HB Technology

Legal name

주식회사 에이치비테크놀러지

Website

https://hbtechnology.co.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

HB Technology manufactures display inspection equipment (LCD/AMOLED AOI, laser repair, secondary battery inspection) and optical components (LGP, diffusion plates), supplying major global display panel makers through direct enterprise sales from its South Korean operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Display Inspection Equipment

NAICS

Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing (3344), Semiconductor Machinery Manufacturing (333242)

SIC

Optical Instruments & Lenses (3827), Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825)

akta.pro primary industry

Inspection, Checkweighing & Detection Systems (Vision, Metal, X-ray) (IMALAOAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Test, Probe & Burn-In Equipment (Wafer Sort/Final Test) (HDAHAEAJ), Optoelectronic Components (LEDs, photodiodes, optocouplers, optical sensors) (IMAGAJAF), Machine Vision & Inspection Lighting (Ring lights, bar lights, backlights, strobed illumination) (IMAGAIAG)

Keywords

• Display inspection equipment
• Automated optical inspection
• Laser repair systems
• Light guide plates
• Optical components

Headquarters

HQ city

Pyongyang

HQ country

North Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: Sale of display inspection equipment including AOI systems (LCD, AMOLED), laser repair systems, PCB AOI, and secondary battery inspection systems. Equipment is sold directly to display manufacturers as capital equipment.
2. Component Materials: Manufacturing and sale of display component materials including light guide plates (LGP) and diffusion plates (DP) for LED TVs and monitors. Produced through one-stop manufacturing process.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

HB Technology manufactures and sells display inspection equipment, including LCD and AMOLED Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) systems, laser repair systems, PCB AOI, and secondary battery inspection systems, to display manufacturers. It also produces optical component materials—Light Guide Plates (LGPs) and Diffusion Plates (DPs)—for LED TVs and monitors through a one-stop manufacturing process. Together, these products serve the quality control and materials needs of the global display manufacturing supply chain.

Product overview

HB Technology operates two main business divisions: Equipment Business and Component Materials Business. The Equipment Business produces AOI (Automated Optical Inspection) systems for LCD and AMOLED displays (developed first in Korea and first globally, respectively), Laser Repair Systems, Secondary Battery Inspection Systems, and AI-powered inspection systems utilizing deep learning. The Component Materials Business manufactures Light Guide Plates (LGP) and Diffusion Plates (DP) for LED TVs and monitors through one-stop production processes. The company also offers PCB AOI equipment. Together, these products serve the display inspection and materials supply chain for various IT devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• HB HoldingsminorOthersParent company/family site connection. HB Holdings is the parent organization of HB Technology.
• HB SolutionminorOthersSister company within HB group. Related entity focused on solution business.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Daiichi Jitsugyo Co., Ltd. Japanese trading and engineering company supplying display manufacturing equipment and inspection systems primarily to Japanese panel makers. Comparable to HB in display equipment distribution and inspection product offerings, but with stronger Japanese market focus.

Broad incumbents

• Orbotech (a KLA company): Provider of AOI, testing, and repair solutions for flat panel display and PCB manufacturing (now part of KLA). Comparable to HB Technology in display AOI and laser repair equipment offerings, though operating as a much larger global incumbent.
• KLA Corporation: Global leader in process control and yield management for semiconductors and adjacent display/PCB manufacturing. Comparable to HB as a vision-based inspection and metrology equipment supplier, but operates at much larger scale across multiple electronics manufacturing verticals.

Direct peers

• Test Research, Inc. (TRI): Taiwan-based manufacturer of AOI, X-ray inspection, and other test equipment for PCB and display manufacturing. Comparable to HB Technology as an Asian AOI equipment supplier serving display and PCB manufacturers with overlapping product lines.
• Top Engineering: Korea-based provider of AOI equipment for display and PCB inspection. Directly comparable to HB Technology in product scope (vision inspection equipment for displays), customer base (Korean display manufacturers), and technology positioning.
• V Technology Co., Ltd. Japanese manufacturer of display inspection and measurement equipment, including AOI systems for LCD and OLED panels. Comparable to HB as a specialist display-inspection equipment supplier serving panel makers across Asia.
• Saki Corporation: Japanese provider of automated optical inspection (AOI) and X-ray inspection equipment for electronics manufacturing including displays and PCBs. Comparable to HB in AOI product offerings and target customer base in Asian panel and PCB makers.
• Mirtec Co., Ltd. Korean manufacturer of AOI and inspection equipment for PCB, semiconductor, and display applications. Directly comparable to HB as a Korea-based AOI equipment competitor with similar product portfolio and customer overlap in display and PCB inspection.
• Charm Engineering: Korean manufacturer of AOI and inspection equipment for display and PCB applications. Closely comparable to HB in target customers (display panel makers), product categories (AOI systems), and go-to-market (B2B direct sales to Korean panel manufacturers).
• AP Tech: Korean equipment maker specializing in AOI and inspection systems for display and PCB manufacturing. Directly comparable to HB Technology as a Korea-based display AOI competitor serving the same major Korean panel makers with similar product categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hb-technology-co-ltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 HB Technology