Pablo Air, a swarming AI aviation and defence platform company, said on Monday it will secure a strategic investment from Korean Air.

The companies said on Monday they signed a strategic investment agreement to pursue joint technology development and commercialisation focused on swarming AI autonomous flight technology and drones for aircraft exterior inspection in MRO.

Korean Air decided to invest after assessing that Pablo Air’s swarming AI autonomous flight algorithms, integrated control platform, and design and operation technology for small and medium-sized unmanned aircraft have competitiveness that can be applied to next-generation unmanned aircraft operations and the broader aviation industry.

The company said Pablo Air has reached Level 4 (High Swarming) among the five stages of swarming coordination technology. It said it has verified the potential for real-world application by conducting multiple military demonstrations based on this, taking into account actual combat operational environments.

Young-jun Kim (김영준), chairman and founder of Pablo Air, said, "This investment by Korean Air is its first strategic investment in a technology startup, and it means Pablo Air's swarming AI technology has reached a level that can be used in real aviation and defence industry sites beyond the research and development stage." He said, "Through cooperation with Korean Air, which has led the global aviation industry, we will create new industrial value in next-generation unmanned aircraft and aviation drone fields."