Rebellions plans South Korea IPO as AI chip interest lifts demand
CEO Sunghyun Park told CNBC the Samsung-backed AI chip company is preparing a listing as early as the first half of next year.
By Marcus V. Thorne · Markets Editor
· 2 min read
Rebellions, the Samsung-backed artificial intelligence chip company, is targeting an initial public offering in South Korea in the first or second quarter of next year, Chief Executive Sunghyun Park told CNBC. The proposed listing would put the company before public-market investors at a time when AI chipmakers are drawing strong interest tied to spending on computing infrastructure.
Park said Rebellions is preparing the IPO with J.P. Morgan and Samsung Securities as underwriters. He told CNBC that the company is favoring South Korea’s KOSPI market over KOSDAQ, while also reviewing possible listings in the United States.
“Real revenue is now being generated. That’s why we are preparing the IPO with underwriter at J.P. Morgan and [Samsung Securities],” Park told CNBC on Wednesday.
South Korea listing favored
An IPO would allow Rebellions to sell shares to public investors, subject to regulatory approvals and market conditions. Park’s comments indicate that the company is positioning a domestic listing as its preferred route, with the main KOSPI board currently ahead of KOSDAQ in its planning.
Park told CNBC that existing investors prefer the Korean market, specifically KOSPI. He linked that preference to the company’s role in South Korea’s AI infrastructure plans.
“Basically, our investors prefer the Korea market, KOSPI actually, because we are well aligned with the Korean government megaproject, one of the largest commitments into AI infrastructure in the world,” Park said, according to CNBC.
The comments place Rebellions within a broader capital-raising push among companies tied to AI computing. The company is seeking to use public markets as investor demand for AI chips remains elevated, CNBC reported.
US venues still under review
Park also said Rebellions is weighing other listing options, including the United States. The company is in discussions with both the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, according to CNBC.
Those talks do not mean the company has chosen a US venue. Based on Park’s comments, South Korea remains the favored option, with the timing aimed at the first half of next year.
No valuation target, fundraising amount or final exchange decision was disclosed in the comments reported by CNBC. Park also did not specify how much revenue Rebellions is generating.
The company’s final listing path will depend on the route it chooses, the work of its underwriters and the state of equity markets closer to the planned offering window. For now, Rebellions is signaling that its commercial progress and alignment with South Korea’s AI infrastructure program are central to its IPO case.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
