Sep 14, 2025

Global recognition of Korean AI startups is far more than just prestige. The recognition signals the country’s growing foothold in the infrastructure behind next-generation AI agents. When CB Insights highlighted Dnotitia, VESSL AI, and Upstage among 135 promising global companies, the venture capital database validated Korea’s potential to shape critical technologies in an industry dominated by hyperscalers. And it also carries ecosystem-level significance for global investors, innovators, and even policymakers. CB Insights Highlights Korean AI Startups in Global Report: Dnotitia, VESSL AI, and Upstage On September 12, industry sources confirmed that CB Insights , a leading global market intelligence firm, selected 135 private AI companies worldwide for their technological competitiveness and growth potential. From Korea, Dnotitia, VESSL AI, and Upstage were included in the report,   Promising Companies Building the AI Agent Technology Stack . The evaluation combined quantitative indicators and the firm’s proprietary Mosaic Score, which assesses financial health, product innovation, market response, and fundraising activity. The AI Agent Technology Stack and Global Context from CB Insights CB Insights grouped companies according to the “AI Agent Technology Stack,” identifying core infrastructure and data technologies essential for scaling AI agents. Upstage was recognized in the LLM Data Preparation Platform field within the “Context” category. This area focuses on enabling AI agents to maintain, search, and utilize structured data and embeddings. Dnotitia was selected in the Vector Database field, which underpins semantic search — a core requirement for AI agents to understand user intent and respond with contextual accuracy. VESSL AI was named in the Model Deployment and Serving field of “AI Foundation Models and Infrastructure,” covering the computing, hosting, and inference systems required to operationalize large language models (LLMs). CB Insights also projected that the future of AI infrastructure will hinge on efficient computing, intelligent orchestration, and developer-friendly abstraction. Platforms integrating these features are expected to build differentiated competitiveness against hyperscaler-dominated market structures. How Korean Startups Are Positioned in the AI Agent Stack While the CB Insights report itself did not include direct commentary from the companies, industry coverage emphasized each startup’s positioning: Upstage has been the only startup included in the Korean government’s “Independent AI Foundation Model” project, strengthening its reputation as a critical contributor to national AI strategy. The company also secured a 62 billion KRW (approx. USD 45 million) Series B round with participation from Amazon and AMD, reinforcing its global expansion capability. Dnotitia earned recognition for delivering competitive solutions in search precision and scalability within vector databases, a space considered essential for enterprise-grade AI agent deployment. VESSL AI was mentioned alongside U.S.-based Databricks and Modal as a global peer in model deployment, signaling that Korean players are beginning to compete in the same arena as well-established international platforms. Implications for Korea’s Startup Ecosystem and Global Expansion Now, this prominent recognition carries layers of significance for the startup ecosystem in South Korea: Validation of Global Competitiveness Being listed by CB Insights places Korean startups in direct comparison with leading global peers, an important step for international credibility. Strategic Positioning in AI Infrastructure The companies represent distinct layers of the AI agent stack: data preparation (Upstage), semantic retrieval (Dnotitia), and deployment infrastructure (VESSL AI). This diversity reflects ecosystem maturity, not just isolated success. Alignment with Policy Priorities Korea has been advancing programs to reduce reliance on foreign AI models and infrastructure. Upstage’s inclusion in the government’s independent foundation model project exemplifies how startups are bridging national policy and global competition. Implications for Cross-Border Investors For venture capitalists and corporates tracking AI infrastructure startups, the report provides signal clarity: Korea is not merely adopting AI but actively building the stack that powers AI agents. Strategic Outlook for Korea in the Global AI Infrastructure Race Finally, the inclusion of Dnotitia, VESSL AI, and Upstage in CB Insights’ global report also becomes a marker of Korea’s growing relevance in the AI infrastructure race. As hyperscalers continue to dominate global markets, Korea’s startups are carving niches in precision databases, scalable deployment, and data preparation platforms. For global founders, investors, and policymakers, this signals a window of opportunity: Korea is positioning itself not only as a fast adopter of AI but as a builder of critical technologies shaping the future of AI agents worldwide. – Stay Ahead in Korea’s Startup Scene – Get real-time insights, funding updates, and policy shifts shaping Korea’s innovation ecosystem.