Naver D2SF has made a new investment in Forge, a startup building defense and manufacturing infrastructure.
Naver D2SF said on the 26th that it decided to invest after noting that Forge has identified a business opportunity for Korean manufacturing capabilities amid supply shortages in the global defense and manufacturing industry. Founded in January this year, Forge builds infrastructure that connects scattered domestic components-industry factories with global defense and advanced hardware companies.
Forge is integrating domestic manufacturing plants into a "programmable manufacturing network" that global defense and manufacturing firms can tap. By deploying its own software into existing factory environments, the company collects real-time data on equipment, processes, inspection and workflows, then converts it to match the standard documentation and compliance frameworks required by global buyers. This allows domestic manufacturers to meet the requirements for entering global supply chains without a large-scale systems overhaul, while global buyers gain access to verifiable manufacturing partners.
Forge is currently expanding partnerships with components-industry factories, centered on manufacturing hubs in the southeastern region such as Sacheon, Changwon and Busan. It is also broadening its network of buyers in the defense, aerospace, shipbuilding and robotics sectors in North America and Europe.
This marks Forge's first institutional funding. The investment round drew domestic and international investors including Naver D2SF, K-Net Investment Partners, Sazze Partners, D.Camp and 500 Global. Using the funding as a springboard, Forge plans to expand hiring in areas such as manufacturing engineering and artificial intelligence development, and to grow new manufacturing partnerships.
Yang Sang-hwan, head of Naver D2SF, said, "As Team Naver is pursuing industrial AX across various areas such as defense-specialized AI models, defense- and manufacturing-specialized LLMs and physical AI, Naver D2SF also plans to continue discovering startups that use technology to solve structural problems in defense and manufacturing sites and to create opportunities in the global market."
Separately, Naver D2SF has begun an open call for startups to invest in within the defense and manufacturing sectors. It plans to seek out startups broadly across defense and manufacturing fields, including data analysis and integration, simulation and validation, physical AI, strategic and tactical AI, command and control and battlefield management, manufacturing and maintenance automation, cybersecurity, and dual-use infrastructure. Applications for investment review can be submitted on the Naver D2SF website until October 25.
