Spanner Selected for 'Unicorn Bridge' by Ministry of SMEs and Startups... Recognized for Construction Automation Success in the U.S.

KB Investment announced on July 6 that Spanner, a construction automation company in its investment portfolio, was recently selected as a Unicorn Bridge support company by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Spanner's unmanned automated excavator is using robotics technology to automate the installation of solar panels at a solar power plant construction site in El Paso, Texas, USA. Photo by Spanner

Unicorn Bridge is a program that identifies innovative companies with high growth potential in the global market and provides intensive support for technology commercialization, overseas expansion, and investment linkage. According to KB Investment, Spanner was selected for Unicorn Bridge based on its advanced construction equipment automation technology and successful business performance in the U.S. market. Spanner has been supplying its solutions using a retrofit method that adds automation features to existing equipment without replacement.

In the field of solar power plant construction, Spanner has commercialized pile driving automation and established itself in the U.S. market. The company is continuously supplying automation solutions to global power and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure sites, including solar power plants, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and data centers. Currently, Spanner has either completed transactions or is in discussions with 19 out of the top 20 solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies in the United States.

Spanner recently introduced a new automated solar panel installation solution called "Panel Lift." This solution utilizes an unmanned remotely operated excavator equipped with suction equipment to autonomously lift and move panels to installation positions. The technology has been validated in the field, as it recognizes the panel loading status and the excavator's relative position based on work process video data, calculates swing movements, and determines the target posture for the tiltrotator, all as part of its physical AI autonomy-based technology. This month, Spanner demonstrated proof of concept (PoC) at a solar power plant construction site in Texas, USA, proving its applicability in real-world operations.

Spanner has expanded both its automation coverage per site and its revenue base by establishing a stable recurring revenue structure centered on its automation solutions and adding the Panel Lift as a new subscription revenue stream. The company has completed an automation lineup that covers the entire construction process for solar power plants, from pile driving to panel installation, and also offers excavator automation solutions at BESS and data center construction sites.

Spanner CEO Lee Myunghan stated, "We will continue to develop automation solutions that cover the entire construction site by autonomizing various types of heavy construction equipment, including excavators, track loaders, and pile drivers, using physical AI. Based on our selection for Unicorn Bridge, we will further solidify Spanner's position in the global construction automation market."

Meanwhile, following its selection for Unicorn Bridge, Spanner will receive a special guarantee from Korea Technology Finance Corporation and support for participating in major global exhibitions. After taking part in CSPI 2026 in Japan last month, the company plans to participate in RE+ in the United States in November and CES early next year.

© The Asia Business Daily. All rights reserved. Unauthorized AI training and use prohibited.