Naver is increasingly expanding beyond online services into the physical world, aggressively strengthening capabilities in defense, robotics and drones based on its large-scale proprietary data assets and AI technologies. On June 1, Naver announced an investment in drone specialist company Uvify. In an unusual move, the investment was made directly by Naver headquarters rather than through its startup investment arm D2SF. Rare Direct Investment in Autonomous Drone Company Uvify Uvify specializes in drone swarm flight technologies and autonomous flight platforms. Since its founding, the company has actively targeted overseas markets and became the first South Korean drone company to receive the "$10 Million Export Tower" award in December 2024. An executive from Uvify, Robert Cheek, also serves on the board of the Dronecode Foundation, a global organization supporting open-source drone flight control software including PX4. According to the foundation's board roster, the Uvify executive is currently the only representative from a Korean company. Uvify is known for large-scale nighttime drone performances including the Hangang Drone Light Show and the Gwangalli M Drone Light Show. Earlier this year, the company also set a Guinness World Record in Texas with a drone show involving 10,000 drones, highlighting its swarm flight technologies. Naver said the investment would allow it to pursue synergies between its own AI, cloud and digital twin technologies and Uvify's drone hardware and operational expertise. The company added that "physical AI" technologies combining autonomous drones with AI are emerging as a next-generation industrial trend and could see expanding applications in public infrastructure and smart city sectors. Naver Chief Executive Officer Choi Soo-yeon said the company plans to further advance Uvify's drone swarm technologies while fully implementing physical AI solutions across public services, smart cities and broader industrial environments. Talks With Ministry of Land, New Defense AX Task Force Naver has