Naver Corp

• Focused on automating labor-intensive tasks including truck unloading and palletizing
• Strategic partnerships with industry titans like FANUC and Saddle Creek
• Led by veterans with extensive expertise in Physical AI R&D and commercialization

SEOUL, South Korea, March 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVER D2SF, the corporate venture capital arm of NAVER, has invested in Anyware Robotics, a robotics startup solving real-world industrial challenges through advanced physical AI, starting from logistic scenarios. Anyware Robotics develops robots designed to autonomously perform demanding material handling operations — including truck unloading, pallet stacking, and package handling — with exceptional speed, safety, and adaptability.

Manual unloading in logistics centers is one of the most physically demanding and hazardous tasks, exacerbating persistent labor shortages. While automation demand is high, the variability of on-site logistics environments has made it difficult for robots to deliver tangible results. Anyware Robotics addresses this with robots trained on real-world data to optimize performance across complex logistics environments. Its systems combine robust mechanical design and intelligent software to enable a single robot to handle multiple use cases, offering scalability and cost efficiency to logistics operations.

The company has proven its technological efficacy through partnerships with global leaders such as FANUC and Saddle Creek Logistics, significantly improving operational safety and efficiency without necessitating modifications to existing infrastructure.

Founded in 2023, Anyware Robotics is led by a team of robotics industry veterans with deep research backgrounds in mechanical engineering and imitation learning, credited with a collective portfolio of over 100 academic publications. The founders also bring field-proven experience from top robotics companies including FANUC, Amazon Robotics, and GreyOrange.

NAVER D2SF plans to continue expanding its investments across all layers of physical AI — from perception and computation to control. The firm focuses on startups like Anyware Robotics that demonstrate the real value of physical AI by solving real-world challenges, helping them drive long-term competitiveness in their respective fields.

About NAVER D2SF

NAVER D2SF is NAVER's in-house corporate venture arm, supporting sustainable growth by collaborating with startups. Founded in 1999, NAVER has maintained its position as Korea's leading search engine for over 20 years and operates across commerce, content, fintech, and cloud services. Under the technological vision of D2 (For Developers, By Developers), NAVER is actively developing new technologies and global partnerships to grow as a leading tech company.

To learn more, visit https://d2sf.naver.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/naver-d2sf-invests-in-anyware-robotics-a-physical-ai-startup-starting-from-logistics-automation-302709103.html

SOURCE NAVER

• Developing housekeeping-focused robots for North American hotels, capable of ultra-low-latency control across diverse network environments
• Verified market demand in the U.S. and China; restroom-cleaning prototype to begin on-site testing in Q2 2026
• Founding team brings extensive experience in computer vision, robot control, and teleoperation from Tesla, Apple, Meta, and Bear Robotics

SEONGNAM, South Korea, March 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVER D2SF, NAVER's in-house corporate venture arm, has invested in Khameleon (CEO, Donghoon Lee), a physical AI startup tackling challenges in highly specialized, real-world environments. This pre-seed round marks Khameleon's first funding round since its founding, with participation from NAVER D2SF, Base Ventures, Mashup Ventures, The Ventures, and Schmidt Ventures, as well as institutional investors from the United States and the United Kingdom.

Khameleon is developing robots designed for housekeeping tasks in North American hotels. The hotel industry in the region faces severe labor shortages and rising wages, creating strong demand for automation. Housekeeping in particular is affected by annual turnover rates of 70–80%, compelling hotels to raise wages significantly year over year simply to attract and retain workers. However, the complexity and high-quality standards of hotel housekeeping have proven difficult for existing commercial robot solutions to meet.

Khameleon has designed versatile hardware capable of handling everything from restroom cleaning to full-scope housekeeping, and has built an infrastructure that enables ultra-low-latency control across diverse network environments. Having validated market demand in both the U.S. and China, the company has already secured a pipeline of prospective customers. A restroom-cleaning prototype is set to begin on-site testing in Q2 2026, with plans to gradually expand its capabilities to cover all housekeeping tasks.

Khameleon's founding team, led by CEO Donghoon Lee, brings extensive expertise in computer vision, robot control, and teleoperation from Tesla, Apple, Meta, and Bear Robotics. The team has also participated in large-scale robotics projects — including the mass production of over 20,000 robots — giving them rare depth in both robotics development and commercialization.

Donghoon Lee, CEO of Khameleon, said, "Cleaning is a universal necessity, yet core tasks like restroom cleaning and housekeeping remain largely manual — and that's exactly the problem Khameleon is here to solve. With this investment, we will accelerate our on-site testing in North American hotels, grow our team, and expand partnerships with global customers."

Yang Sang-hwan, Head of NAVER D2SF, stated, "Khameleon combines deep technical expertise with hands-on field experience, positioning the team to solve real-world hotel challenges and demonstrate the value of physical AI." He added, "NAVER D2SF will continue to invest in startups that leverage their unique strengths to rapidly build success and write a new playbook for physical AI." 

About NAVER D2SF 

NAVER D2SF is NAVER's in-house corporate venture arm, supporting sustainable growth by collaborating with startups. Founded in 1999, NAVER has maintained its position as Korea's leading search engine for over 20 years and operates across commerce, content, fintech, and cloud services. Under the technological vision of D2 (For Developers, By Developers), NAVER is actively developing new technologies and global partnerships to grow as a leading tech company.

To learn more, visit https://d2sf.naver.com 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/naver-d2sf-invests-in-physical-ai-startup-khameleon-302708216.html

SOURCE NAVER