GS Engineering & Construction and Hoban Construction have invested in Robocon, a robotics-based construction automation company, through the Plan H-Xplo Green Smart City Venture Investment Fund. The fund acquired Robocon convertible bonds as builders seek technology to address labor shortages, rising costs and hazardous repetitive work. Established in November 2020 after Daehan Networks spun off its robotics division, Robocon develops systems for rebar processing, assembly and transportation. Its ARON solution automates rebar supply, cutting and bending, reducing the workforce needed to produce 3,000 tons of rebar from up to 30 people to fewer than 10, according to the company. The fund, established in 2024 by GS E&C CVC arm Xplo Investment and Hoban Construction CVC Plan H Ventures, totals 38.5 billion Korean won, including contributions from a government land-and-transport fund, GS E&C, Hoban Construction and Xplo Investment. Robocon’s systems have also been deployed at overseas sites including Singapore’s Tuas Port and a Taipei airport project in Taiwan. Samsung C&T invested approximately 15 billion Korean won in 2023, later obtained majority board voting rights and made Robocon a subsidiary in the second half of that year. Xplo Investment said the latest investment reflects construction-site productivity, digital-transformation and investment-return considerations, while no additional investments have been decided despite interest from multiple institutions at the pre-IPO stage.