NAVER D2SF Invests in Defense, Manufacturing Infrastructure Startup F4GE

NAVER D2SF has made a new investment in F4GE, a defense and manufacturing infrastructure startup.

F4GE is building infrastructure that integrates Korea's fragmented core manufacturing factories into a single manufacturing network and connects them with global defense and advanced hardware companies. NAVER D2SF said it decided to invest after identifying the business opportunity for Korea's manufacturing capabilities amid supply shortages in the global defense and manufacturing industries.

According to NAVER D2SF, global defense companies are facing a surge in large-scale procurement demand that is difficult to meet with their own production infrastructure. Korea, meanwhile, has about 60,000 core manufacturing factories spanning casting, forging, machining and molding, but many have struggled to secure global customers because they cannot meet compliance, documentation and traceability requirements demanded by global companies. F4GE aims to bridge that gap.

F4GE is integrating Korean factories into a "programmable manufacturing network" that can be used by global defense and manufacturing companies. The startup deploys its proprietary software in existing factory environments to collect real-time data on equipment, processes, inspections and workflows, and converts the data into standardized documentation and compliance systems required by global buyers.

This allows Korean manufacturers to meet requirements for entering global supply chains without large-scale system replacements, while enabling global buyers to secure verifiable manufacturing partners.

F4GE's infrastructure consists of three main layers. It first automatically standardizes and integrates equipment data formats and languages that vary by manufacturing site. It then learns the accumulated know-how and tacit knowledge of skilled workers and builds that information into a new database. F4GE subsequently handles factory allocation, process standardization, logistics, customs and documentation, helping maintain consistent manufacturing quality while supporting compliance with supply-chain management certifications such as Chain of Custody (CoC), required by the U.S. Department of Defense and other global buyers.

F4GE is expanding partnerships with core manufacturing factories in southeastern Korean manufacturing hubs including Sacheon, Changwon and Busan. It is also broadening its network of customers in North America and Europe across the defense, aerospace, shipbuilding and robotics sectors. By connecting Korea's manufacturing infrastructure with global demand, F4GE aims to increase utilization rates at Korean factories while strengthening the competitiveness of domestic manufacturers in global core-industry value chains.

Founded in January 2026, F4GE secured its first institutional funding through the investment round. Investors included NAVER D2SF, KNET Investment Partners, Sazze Partners, D.CAMP and 500 Global. F4GE plans to use the funding to expand hiring in areas including manufacturing engineering and AI development and to broaden its manufacturing partnerships.

"As NAVER is pursuing industrial AX across various areas including defense-specialized AI models, defense and manufacturing LLMs and physical AI, NAVER D2SF will continue to identify startups that use technology to solve structural problems in defense and manufacturing and create opportunities in global markets," said Yang Sang-hwan, head of NAVER D2SF.

NAVER D2SF is also inviting applications from defense and manufacturing startups seeking investment. Applications for investment review can be submitted through the NAVER D2SF website until Oct. 25. NAVER D2SF plans to identify and invest broadly in startups across areas including data analytics 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.