[DigitalToday reporter Chi-gyu Hwang] Venture capital firm Crit Ventures said on Tuesday it made a 1.5 billion won pre-Series A investment in Withpoints, a company developing a modular robot automation platform.

The round was joined by FuturePlay, We Ventures and the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund’s youth startup foundation D.CAMP, among others, with total investment of 4 billion won.

Withpoints is developing and operating Winect, a platform that automates irregular tasks that repeatedly occur in manufacturing sites, such as welding and inspection, based on 3D vision processing and robot control technology.

The company said Winect features algorithms that enable robots to recognise location and shape on their own and perform tasks. It also has a modular structure applicable to various manufacturing processes, allowing stable automation even under demanding conditions such as reflective surfaces, high temperatures and vibration.

With this investment, Withpoints plans to focus on upgrading Winect, launching new irregular-task solutions for assembly, painting and dismantling, expanding domestic and overseas partners and accelerating overseas expansion, and strengthening industry-specific automation templates and datasets.

A Crit Ventures official said Withpoints has a team with technology proven in industrial sites and advanced 3D vision and robot automation capabilities. The official said the company is expected to grow rapidly amid the shift toward AI and robotics-based smart manufacturing and logistics.