Freegrow Selected for 2026 TIPS R&D Deep-Tech Track, Advancing AI Agent-Based Autonomous Space Operations

Freegrow (CEO Kim Young-sik) announced on the 8th that it has been selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ “2026 TIPS R&D Deep-Tech Track.”

What Is the TIPS R&D Deep-Tech Track?

The TIPS R&D Deep-Tech Track supports technology advancement for deep-tech companies. It provides up to KRW 1.5 billion over as long as 36 months, across 12 emerging industry sectors including AI, sensors, and manufacturing processes.

Freegrow’s UWB Positioning Technology Roadmap

Freegrow has advanced its UWB positioning technology in stages. Starting from single-point indoor positioning, the company expanded to continuous indoor-outdoor positioning by integrating GPS-RTK and IMU sensors.

The technology has since evolved to include on-device AI that judges signal conditions directly on the device, without relying on a server. It achieves measured accuracy of 10-30cm even in metal-dense environments.

This technology has been field-tested at more than 40 large-scale logistics, manufacturing, and construction sites in Korea, including a shopping mall deployment.

What Is AI Agent-Based Autonomous Space Operation?

A company representative described this deep-tech track project as the next stage. “The infrastructure to reliably capture location data is already in place. Now we are moving to a stage where the space operates itself,” the representative said.

They added, “We are developing a hands-free copilot system in which AI agents connect and direct, in real time, all the people, objects, and equipment moving through a space.”

“This is a structure where technology that started with UWB indoor positioning converges into a physical AI platform that autonomously operates an entire space,” the representative explained. Physical AI is a concept drawing growing attention across industry.

What This Means for Industrial Sites

At logistics and manufacturing sites, tracking the real-time location of people, equipment, and assets is fundamental to safety and efficiency. Until now, however, the infrastructure for collecting location data itself was not standardized, requiring each site to build its own system from scratch.

The copilot system Freegrow is developing under this project aims to automate on-site decision-making based on this location data. Rather than requiring a person to continuously monitor a dashboard, AI agents detect anomalies first and suggest a response path.

This approach aligns with the broader trend of UWB (Ultra-Wideband)-based indoor positioning technology becoming the autonomous operating infrastructure for industrial sites.

Freegrow previously confirmed the commercial viability of this technology through a shopping mall pilot deployment.

About Freegrow

Freegrow recorded revenue of KRW 1.25 billion in 2025, more than 140% growth year-over-year.

The company holds 7 registered patents and 5 pending patent applications. Its headquarters is located in Dong-gu, Busan.