Sungho Corporation to pursue local verification of ‘Physical AI’ agricultural robots in Bakersfield, U.S.

According to the Kern County Agricultural Commissioner’s crop report in California, the United States, Kern County produced agricultural products worth $7.96 billion in 2024 (about KRW 10.572803 trillion, based on the exchange rate on Oct. 20, 2026). It is one of the largest agricultural production regions in the United States. Citrus fruits and grapes, the top two crops by production value, are mostly harvested by hand, and about 80% of U.S.-grown carrots come from this area. Pistachios and almonds are also major products. In Bakersfield, the central city of the region, South Korean agricultural robot company Sungho Corporation will begin verification of ‘EVE Clever,’ an agricultural automated management and harvesting robot based on ‘Physical AI.’

Sungho Corporation said CEO Park Sung-ho visited Bakersfield City Hall in California on the 9th (local time) and met with Mayor Karen Goh. At the meeting, the two sides agreed to cooperate to help Sungho Corporation make a smooth soft landing in the U.S. market. Sungho Corporation requested KRW 10 billion from the city as initial project funding for local proof of concept (PoC), and discussions are underway for up to KRW 30 billion depending on the project scale.

Mayor Goh, Bakersfield’s first Asian mayor, who has led the city since 2017, said, “The combination of Physical AI and agriculture will bring about major innovative changes to the future of California agriculture,” adding, “We will spare no support for local PoC verification projects and investment so that Sungho Corporation’s AI agricultural automated management and harvesting robot can establish itself stably in the U.S. market.”

Sungho Corporation’s connection with Bakersfield began at the ‘SelectUSA Investment Summit,’ an event hosted by the U.S. Department of Commerce to attract investment from foreign companies. At the event held in May 2026, places that showed interest in Sungho Corporation’s agricultural technology included Baltimore, Maryland; Fairfax County, Virginia; Bellevue and Kirkland, Washington; and Bakersfield, California. Among them, Sungho Corporation selected bases by dividing roles between the East and West coasts. Verification and technology localization will take place in Bakersfield in the West, which has an excellent agricultural environment, while financial support, regulations and certification, commercialization, and legal affairs related to establishing a corporation will be handled in Fairfax County in the East. The U.S. corporation will also be established in Fairfax County. 

CEO Park explained, “California has a strong agricultural environment, making it the optimal place to secure the data needed locally and advance EVE Clever,” adding, “We will conduct verification and technology soft landing in Bakersfield, while resolving finance, regulation, certification, and corporate-related matters in the East.” In South Korea, the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) and the Korea Fintech Support Center supported the company’s entry into the U.S. market.

The verification will deploy Sungho Corporation’s newly introduced second-generation open-field crawler-track type EVE Clever. Crops for the verification include fruit trees such as citrus including oranges, as well as carrots, cherries and pistachios, with robot performance to be verified first on oranges. The verification will be carried out through an industry-academia partnership with UC Davis (University of California, Davis). The deployment timing, number of units and verification farms will be finalized according to the amount of project funding secured.

The second-generation EVE Clever is also expanding its verification sites in South Korea. It has been selected for an apple orchard verification project in Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, where four crawler-type units will be deployed.

Sungho Corporation’s ultimate goal is ‘Made in Bakersfield.’ As Mayor Goh has expressed her position welcoming the introduction of excellent agricultural equipment to the region and pledging active support, the company plans to produce robots locally in Bakersfield after verification. It plans to build a service base after establishing its corporate structure in the East.

The first official stage will be the investment attraction event ‘Unbound: Kern Capital Summit 2026,’ which opens on Nov. 8 (local time). Co-hosted by the City of Bakersfield and the regional economic cooperation organization B3K Prosperity, the event will bring together investors, local businesspeople and civil society leaders. CEO Park has been invited to the event, where he will introduce Sungho Corporation and EVE Clever and seek investment. 

CEO Park said, “Based on our partnership with the City of Bakersfield, the heart of U.S. agriculture, we will prove our Physical AI-based agricultural robot solutions in the global market,” adding, “We will lead the global advanced agricultural robot market with tangible PoC results and a localization strategy.”