South Korea-Based Rebellions Bags US$250 Million Series C To Expand Across Saudi Arabia

South Korea-based Rebellions has raised US$250 million in a Series C funding round led by new strategic investors, including UK-based semiconductor and software design company Arm, which values the company at US$1.4 billion. 

Additional investors included South Korea-based Samsung Ventures, the venture capital arm of Samsung Group, and Taiwan-based Pegatron VC, the investment arm of electronics manufacturer Pegatron. Existing backers such as state-owned Korea Development Bank and France-based Korelya Capital, a growth-stage venture firm, also participated, while Singapore-based Lion X Ventures joined as a new international investor. 

Founded by Sunghyun Park, Shin Suk-ho, Park Seung-hwan, and Jang Yeong-su in South Korea in 2020, Rebellions develops energy-efficient, high-performance artificial intelligence (AI) inference chips designed for data centers and large-scale artificial intelligence applications. The latest investment reinforces its role in the artificial intelligence (AI) inference chip sector, while also deepening its presence in Saudi Arabia

Rebellions is set to use the fresh funding to support the mass production of its REBEL-Quad chip and its chiplet-based product roadmap, designed to provide energy-efficient, high-performance AI inference solutions for data centers. The company’s first-generation chips, ATOM and ATOM-Max, are already deployed with customers in Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the US, powering Korea’s largest commercial AI service. In August, Rebellions introduced its second-generation REBEL-Quad, described as the first UCIe-Advanced AI accelerator, built to deliver large-scale inference with energy efficiency and scalability. 

Speaking to Inc. Arabia, Park, who is also the CEO of Rebellions, explained how the company’s work in Saudi Arabia goes beyond chip deployment, and aims to support the country’s wider AI transformation. “Rebellions is committed to contributing to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 by driving innovation in AI infrastructure and enabling technological advancements across key industries,” Park said. “Our approach focuses on developing high-performance AI chips and systems that support large-scale AI deployments, fostering digital transformation throughout the region.”  

Central to this approach, Park continued, is the company’s network of local partnerships. “We aim to collaborate with local stakeholders, academic institutions, and government initiatives to establish cutting-edge AI infrastructure tailored to the region's needs,” he noted. “This includes creating efficient, scalable, and energy-conscious solutions that align with Vision 2030’s emphasis on sustainability and economic diversification. As a first step, we signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Aramco in September 2024, focusing on potential AI chip deployment in Aramco's data centers, and we are currently collaborating on initial steps.” 

The company’s recent activities build on its July 2024 $15 million Series B extension led by Saudi Arabia’s Wa’ed Ventures, the venture capital arm of Aramco. That deal marked the company’s first collaboration with a MENA-based investor and paved the way for its entry into Saudi Arabia’s AI infrastructure market. Building on that momentum, Rebellions established a Riyadh-based subsidiary to support local operations and talent development—an expansion that Park described as transformative. “The partnership with Wa’ed Ventures and the establishment of a local branch significantly influence our approach to AI development in the region,” he said. “By collaborating with Wa’ed Ventures, we gain access to valuable local market insights, networks, and resources that enable us to tailor our solutions to Saudi Arabia’s unique needs and Vision 2030 objectives.” 

Park also noted that being on the ground in Saudi Arabia has enabled Rebellions to engage more closely with industry partners and institutions. “Establishing a local branch enhances our ability to engage directly with stakeholders, understand their challenges, and provide customized AI solutions that align with the region’s priorities, such as digital transformation and AI infrastructure development,” Park said. “Rebellion's local branch hopes to collaborate with educational and research institutions to cultivate local talent, enabling joint development of AI infrastructure within Saudi Arabia's technology ecosystem.” 

Beyond investment and partnerships, Park highlighted the company’s technical focus as a defining element of its Saudi strategy. “While prompt engineering plays a crucial role for users to efficiently and effectively use AI service, Rebellions focuses on developing the software stack and hardware that enables efficient AI deployment,” he explained. “Our solutions optimize the infrastructure layer, allowing AI applications—whether using prompt engineering or other approaches—to run with higher performance and cost-efficiency. Our full-stack software solutions are designed to support seamless deployment of AI infrastructure at scale. This aligns with the region's rapid digital and AI transformation, allowing organizations to implement AI solutions with higher performance and cost-efficiency.” 

Looking ahead, Park said Rebellions’ next phase will center on deepening partnerships and nurturing local capabilities to meet the Kingdom’s growing appetite for advanced AI solutions. “To meet market demands, we plan to invest in local talent development, foster partnerships with key organizations, and focus on creating scalable, high-performance AI solutions that address the specific requirements of industries in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “This strategic approach positions us to contribute meaningfully to the region’s AI ecosystem and long-term technological advancement.” 

Pictured in the lead image is Rebellions co-founder Sunghyun Park. Image courtesy Rebellions.