[Youngchang Robotech IPO] Youngchang Robotech Establishes North American Base Ahead of IPO and Accelerates Global Expansion

U.S. Subsidiary Established in Illinois in April…First LABOT Order Secured from Hillary Machinery

By Yoon-hae Ahn | Published July 23, 2026, 7:00 a.m.

This article was originally published on thebell’s subscriber-only page on July 21, 2026, at 3:09 p.m.

Youngchang Robotech, a factory automation company specializing in industrial robot-based solutions, is moving to establish an early presence in the North American market ahead of its planned KOSDAQ listing.

Building on the automation system expertise it has accumulated in Korea, the company plans to actively target the U.S. manufacturing market. The move is seen as part of Youngchang Robotech’s strategy to diversify its growth drivers through global expansion and strengthen its growth story ahead of its initial public offering.

According to investment banking industry sources on July 21, Youngchang Robotech established Youngchang Robotech America Inc. in Schaumburg, Illinois, in April through a wholly owned investment.

This marks the company’s first overseas subsidiary and is expected to serve as a key base for its expansion into the North American market.

Located in the U.S. Midwest, Schaumburg is surrounded by a high concentration of manufacturers in industries such as automotive parts and metalworking. The region is considered one of the largest markets for machine tending automation, which automates repetitive tasks performed in industrial manufacturing environments.

Schaumburg is also located near Chicago, where the International Manufacturing Technology Show, or IMTS, is held, making it well positioned for building networks within the machine tool industry.

Its convenient access to O’Hare International Airport and major logistics infrastructure also enables efficient equipment transportation and customer support. Youngchang Robotech plans to operate a showroom within the U.S. subsidiary, providing a space where local customers can experience its systems and view live demonstrations.

Youngchang Robotech’s LABOT MT model. (Source: Youngchang Robotech)

The establishment of the U.S. subsidiary is closely tied to the North American expansion of LABOT, Youngchang Robotech’s flagship collaborative robot-based machine tending automation solution.

LABOT automates repetitive manufacturing tasks to improve productivity while reducing operator workload and dependence on manual labor.

Demand for CNC automation is rapidly increasing across U.S. manufacturing sites due to labor shortages and sharply rising labor costs. In response, Youngchang Robotech determined that it needed a local base capable of directly managing dealers, product supply, and technical support.

Youngchang Robotech has built extensive factory automation expertise across a wide range of industries in Korea, including automotive, defense, steel, and semiconductors.

One of the company’s key competitive strengths is its comprehensive engineering capability, which covers the entire automation process—from robotic system design and machine fabrication to electrical engineering, control programming, installation, and commissioning.

The company secured its first U.S. order at the same time it established the subsidiary.

Under the agreement, Youngchang Robotech will supply LABOT SD and LABOT MD systems to Hillary Machinery, a U.S.-based machine tool distributor. The systems are scheduled for delivery by the end of August, followed by installation and commissioning at Tri-States in early September.

Youngchang Robotech has also confirmed its participation in IMTS 2026, which will take place in Chicago in September.

Through the exhibition, the company plans to formally introduce the LABOT brand to the North American market and secure new customers.

Following the establishment of the subsidiary and the appointment of its U.S. head, Youngchang Robotech is also accelerating the expansion of its local organization by recruiting sales personnel and engineers.

“We are pursuing UL certification to support our expansion in the North American market,” a Youngchang Robotech representative said. “By strengthening confidence in our compliance with local safety standards and operating permanent demonstrations at our showroom, we plan to expand customer engagement.”

The representative added, “Using our U.S. subsidiary as a foundation for our North American business, we are also considering additional expansion into Europe and other global markets over the mid to long term.”

Source: thebell
Reporter: Yoon-hae Ahn
Original Article: https://m.thebell.co.kr/m/newsview.asp?svccode=00&newskey=202607211308544280107294

※ This English translation is based on the original article and is published with the reporter’s permission.