Launches Series A Following 2025 Funding Rounds; Expands U.S. Footprint via K-Nevada Gateway Program

"No footage saved. Only insight delivered." — Redefining offline consumer analytics with Edge AI

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — MAZE, the Silicon Valley-minded Edge AI startup redefining offline consumer analytics, today officially announced the launch of its Series A funding round. In a world where tightening privacy regulations have turned traditional video surveillance into a legal liability, MAZE has solved the core paradox: its proprietary Video-to-Vector technology generates real-time consumer intelligence — dwell time, flow patterns, revisit rates — without storing or transmitting a single frame of video.

Following the successful close of its 2025 Seed and Pre-A rounds backed by Pacemakers, and a landmark proof-of-concept in Reno, Nevada, MAZE has moved from Validation to global Expansion. The K-Nevada Bridge 2026 program, which helped MAZE reach the U.S. market, is also now open for a new cohort of Korean innovators.

메이즈, 프라이버시 퍼스트 리테일 인텔리전스의뉴글로벌 표준 수립... 시리즈A 투자 유치,미국 진출 본격화

프라이버시 퍼스트 엣지 AI 스타트업 MAZe,영상 한 프레임도 저장하지 않는 Video-to-Vector 기술로 오프라인 소비자 행동을 실시간 분석하며, 네바다 리노 PoC 성공과 2025년 시드·프리A 연속 클로징을 기반으로 시리즈 A를 공식 선언하고 북미·유럽 리테일·호텔·스마트시티 시장 글로벌 확장을 본격화

K-EnterTech HubJung Han

■ Video-to-Vector: Intelligence Without Footage

MAZE's RIZE Edge AI takes a fundamentally different architectural approach from legacy analytics systems. Rather than streaming video to the cloud or storing footage on-premises, the system processes all visual signals locally — on the device itself — and converts movement into anonymized vector data in real time.

No footage is ever created. What remains is pure numerical intelligence: dwell time, flow patterns, revisit rates, and spatial congestion analytics — all the insights that retail, hospitality, and smart city operators need, delivered without a single frame of video. The architecture is structurally compliant with GDPR and CCPA today, and purpose-built to remain compliant as global AI governance tightens further.

"MAZE's technology is the missing piece for industries that demand sophisticated consumer analysis without the legal and ethical risks of video storage. By converting visual signals into pure data, MAZE isn't just improving analytics — they are establishing a new industry standard for privacy-compliant intelligence."  — Pacemakers

■ Market Validation in the U.S. Heartland: The Reno PoC

MAZE's technology was validated not in a lab, but in a live U.S. commercial environment. Since the second half of 2025, MAZE has been running an ongoing Proof of Concept at a high-end Japanese restaurant in Reno, Nevada — a direct outcome of its K-Nevada Gateway 2025 participation. The results speak to commercial viability, not just technical capability.

Phase 1 confirmed the technical reliability of Video-to-Vector processing in a high-traffic setting and successfully established a quantitative correlation between customer revisit rates and specific revenue fluctuations.

Phase 2 is now underway, integrating RIZE data with the restaurant's server tablet system to automate real-time, AI-driven upselling recommendations. MAZE is no longer just an analytics tool. It is operational infrastructure tied directly to revenue outcomes.

Reno PoC — Key Outcomes

• Video-to-Vector processing validated for technical reliability in high-traffic commercial environment
• Quantitative correlation established between revisit rates and revenue fluctuations
• Phase 2 integration with server tablet system underway — real-time upselling automatio
• Business network established with Nevada institutions (EDAWN, DRI, NCAR) and local VC

■ Series A: From Validation to Global Expansion

"We are bridging the gap between the physical world and digital intelligence. Closing our 2025 funding rounds was a validation of our vision. Our success in Nevada was the turning point that made that vision real. Now, MAZE is shifting from Validation to Expansion. We are building the intelligent, privacy-first infrastructure that will power the next generation of offline guest experiences."  — Ki-sun Song, CEO, MAZE

Series A proceeds will fund two strategic priorities: accelerating R&D on the RIZE Edge AI guest insight platform, and expanding business development operations in North America and Europe. Primary target verticals include retail chains, hotels and resorts, airports, and smart city infrastructure — all sectors facing the same privacy-data paradox that MAZE was architected to solve.

The global Edge AI market is projected to grow at over 20% CAGR through 2030. Tightening privacy regulations are not a headwind for MAZE — they are a structural tailwind for a company whose architecture was designed from inception for a world where video storage is no longer acceptable.

About MAZE

MAZE is a Seoul-based Edge AI startup with a Silicon Valley mindset, delivering privacy-compliant offline consumer analytics through its proprietary Video-to-Vector technology and RIZE Edge AI platform. The company serves retail, F&B, hospitality, and smart city sectors, enabling the digital transformation of physical spaces without compromising on privacy. Backed by Pacemakers and validated in the U.S. market through K-Nevada Gateway 2025, MAZE is currently raising its Series A to accelerate global expansion.

■ K-Nevada Gateway25: The Program That Brought MAZE to US

MAZE's U.S. market entry was enabled by K-Nevada Gateway 2025 — a structured Korean startup acceleration program co-organized by Genaxis, Pacemakers, Mission Law Firm, and Mediontech, in partnership with the University of Nevada startup incubator, NCAR, and DRI.

The intensive 5-night program in Reno and San Francisco selected up to innovative Korean startups, providing structured access to Nevada institutions, local VCs, and corporate partners.

K-Nevada Gateway 2025 — Major Participating Companies

K-Nevada Gateway 2025: Korean Deep-Tech Startups Find New Path to US Market

‘K-Nevada Gateway 2025’, 한국 딥테크의 미국 진출 새 길 열다 ”실리콘밸리 4시간 거리에 0% 법인세”... 5년간 2000개 기업 리노 이전/ 김캐디·엘이디온·메이즈· 현지·대학·컨벤션.연구기관과 협렵과 미국 진출 위한 파트너십 체결KSEA 네바다 지부 창립·투자클럽 운영... 일회성 아닌 장기 지원 체계 구축

K-EnterTech HubJung Han

■ K-Nevada Gateway 2026: Nevada-Focused, RSW Special Program — Now Enrolling

MAZE's success proved it: Reno, Nevada is the most practical and structured gateway for Korean deep-tech into the U.S. market. That gateway opens again in 2026 — deeper and more focused than ever.

K-Nevada Gateway 2026: Korea Night & Reno Startup Week will run September 27 (Sun) through October 2 (Fri), 2026 in Reno, Nevada. Deeply focused on the Nevada ecosystem, the program has been officially designated as an Affiliate Program of Reno Startup Week 2026 (RSW 2026) — connecting participants directly with RSW's 1,400+ registrants, 75+ speakers, and 40+ sponsors network.