The verified answer
As of Oct 2026, DEPLOY verifies SUALAB: 1 model, 2 deployments across 2 regions. 1 source back the record.
Overview
SUALAB was a Seoul-based deep learning machine vision company that developed SuaKIT, a software library for automated visual inspection in manufacturing. Founded in 2013 by Song Kiyoung, SUALAB provided AI-powered defect detection solutions for the display, solar, PCB, film, and semiconductor industries. The company was acquired by Cognex in October 2019 to strengthen Cognex's deep learning capabilities for industrial machine vision
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- 2 deployments on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
Key facts
HQ
CEO
Founded
Product
Acquired by
Acquisition date
Acquisition price
Awards
Industries served
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Partnerships
Every company SUALAB has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most-frequent partners
- 1Cognex1× joint2 total
Most recent
- Cognex acquires SUALAB2019-10-16with Cognexoperating
SUALAB on the deployment map
View the global map2 verified deployments across 2 regions, newest verified Jun 2024. Explore where SUALAB's robots are operating, by place and type.
View the full SUALAB deployment record →
Relationships
Current leadership (1)
- Song Kiyoung CEO & Co-founder, Co-foundersecondary-verified
Founders (1)
- Song Kiyoungcofounderno longer at company
Safety record
No incidents on record for SUALAB.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Operator customers (1)
- SUALAB2 deployments
Recent coverage
SUALAB in third-party press
Mapping the startups setting the pace in Korea’s AI sector - Tech in Asia
Holiday Robotics nears unicorn as IMM Investment leads 150 billion won round - CHOSUNBIZ - Chosunbiz
CarbonSix targets Korea manufacturing with physical AI instead of humanoids - CHOSUNBIZ - Chosunbiz
Peer companies
- Roborock20 models
- Unitree Robotics10 models
- DJI7 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Gobio Robot6 models
- Orbbec6 models
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- private_reported
- Lifecycle stage
- mature
- Counterparty risk class
- low
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Partnerships
1 total · 1 operating · 1 ended
Every company SUALAB has built with, alongside the ones only announced in a press release.
Most recent
- Cognex acquires SUALAB2019-10-16with Cognexoperating
Most-frequent partners
- 1Cognex1× joint2 total
Acquisitions (1)
- acquired by Cognexfull acquisition2019-10-16
Timeline
Every recorded move in SUALAB’s history, most recent first: funding rounds, partnerships, acquisitions, supply-chain starts, key hires, and press.
PartnershipCognex acquires SUALAB
2019-10-16Cognex Corporation acquired SUALAB, a Seoul-based deep learning machine vision software company, to advance its leadership in deep learning-based machine vision. SUALAB's engineering team and IP enhanced Cognex's existing deep learning capabilities from its 2017 ViDi Systems acquisition.
Acquired byAcquired by Cognex
2019-10-16Acquired by Cognex (full_acquisition)
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdJun 25, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJun 1, 2024
SuaKIT at South Korea, Asia
- Deployment verifiedVerifiedJun 1, 2024
SuaKIT at United States (multiple hotel chains)
Sources (1)
Common questions
What is SUALAB?
What does SUALAB make?
Is SUALAB publicly traded?
Who competes with SUALAB?
Who is the CEO of SUALAB?
How can I invest in SUALAB?
Where is SUALAB headquartered?
Who owns SUALAB?
Where does SUALAB operate robots?
How many robots has SUALAB deployed?
Is SUALAB a top robotics company?
When was SUALAB founded?
Is SUALAB safe?
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-21
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-08-21
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for SUALAB.Peer companies
- Roborock20 models
- Unitree Robotics10 models
- DJI7 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Gobio Robot6 models
- Orbbec6 models
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning SUALAB from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
Mapping the startups setting the pace in Korea’s AI sector - Tech in Asia
<a…
Holiday Robotics nears unicorn as IMM Investment leads 150 billion won round - CHOSUNBIZ - Chosunbiz
<a…
CarbonSix targets Korea manufacturing with physical AI instead of humanoids - CHOSUNBIZ - Chosunbiz
<a…
Leaflyze, "We Will Set a New Standard in the Sewing Industry with AI" - 동아일보
<a…
CarbonBlack hires Lunit co-founder Jang Min-hong as partner to boost global physical AI expansion - CHOSUNBIZ - Chosunbiz
<a…
CarbonSix launches SigmaKit, Korea's first imitation-learning industrial robot AI toolkit - CHOSUNBIZ - Chosunbiz
<a…
Physical AI Startup CarbonSix Unveils Industry-First Standardized Robot Imitation Learning Toolkit for Manufacturing - Colorado Springs Gazette
<a…
CarbonSix Raises $4M Seed Funding Led by Top Silicon Valley VCs - PR Newswire
<a…
SUALAB — Deep Learning Machine Vision Solution Provider
Archived SUALAB company website describing its deep learning machine vision inspection solutions for manufacturing industries
Cognex acquires South Korean AI startup Sualab in $195 million deal - Global Cosmetics News
<a…
Cognex Acquires SUALAB to Advance its Leadership in Deep Learning-Based Machine Vision
Cognex announces acquisition of SUALAB, a Korean deep learning vision software company, to enhance its industrial machine vision capabilities
Nasdaq-listed Cognex acquires S. Korean AI startup Sualab
Nasdaq-listed Cognex Corporation acquired Sualab, a Seoul-based industrial AI vision startup co-founded by Song Ki-young in 2013. Song Ki-young joined Cognex to lead the world's…
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/sualab.md
- RSS feed: /companies/sualab/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/3d798d2e-a115-4006-b0cc-4d77a1f4b66a
- Revision history: /companies/sualab/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- Roborock20 models
- Unitree Robotics10 models
- DJI7 models
- DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics6 models
- Gobio Robot6 models
- Orbbec6 models
Video
SUALAB introduces 'SuaKIT,’ a deep learning machine vision software library. SuaKIT is a software toolkit intended for training deep learning models, and it exa
At the 3rd KGCCI Innovation Awards hosted by the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) on September 22nd, four companies were awarded for their
SUALAB의 'SuaKIT'은 딥러닝 머신비전 S/W 툴킷&라이브러리입니다. 제조 현장에서 취득되는 이미지를 학습하여 딥러닝 모델을 생성하며, 이를 통해 제품의 불량을 검사합니다.
Heat Index
Serious52/100
A composite of competitive footprint, funding, press velocity, active partnerships, and supply-chain edges. Different from the Intelligence score below (which is per-form-factor productization). Non-robotics companies cap at 25.
Reality vs attention
SUALAB draws attention at the 68th percentile but verifies reality at the 35th percentile among other robots. Hype Gap +32.9, 75th widest among other robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Clean safety record across 2 verified deployments. Limited public funding data for capital position assessment.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Oct 3, 2026