When was Kia founded?

Kia was founded in 1994 and raised its 1st funding round 28 years after it was founded.

Where is Kia located?

Kia is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is registered at 111 PETERS CANYON RD,IRVINE,CA,92606.

Who is the current CEO of Kia?

Hyoung Keun Lee and Han Woo Park s of Kia.

How many employees does Kia have?

As of May 31, 2026, the latest employee count at Kia is 2483.

Is Kia a funded company?

Kia is a funded company, having raised an undisclosed amount across 13 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a $***** Grant (prize money) round, raised on Jan 03, 2022.

When was the latest funding round of Kia?

Kia's latest funding was a $***** Grant (prize money) round on Apr 19, 2024, with participation from 1 investor.

Where does Kia rank among its competitors?

Kia ranks 6th amongst 1014 active competitors, of which 27 are funded. It stands 6th in terms of total funding among its competitors. The most recent competitor to raise funding was BYD, which secured $5.59B in Mar, 2025.

Who are the top competitors of Kia?

Kia's top competitors include Toyota, Hyundai Motor Company and Mercedes-Benz. Among them, BYD secured the most recent funding round in March, 2025.

Kia - 2026 Company Profile, Team, Funding & Competitors

Kia is a public company based in Seoul (South Korea), founded in 1994 by Kim Chul Ho. It operates as a Manufacturer of cars, electric vehicles, and mobility solutions. Kia has raised an undisclosed amount in funding. The company has 1014 active competitors, including 27 funded and 162 that have exited. Its top competitors include companies like Toyota, Hyundai Motor Company and Mercedes-Benz.

Company Details

Manufacturer of cars, electric vehicles, and mobility solutions. The company provides a range of vehicles, including SUVs, MPVs, and EVs. It offers services such as vehicle configuration, test drives, and online booking. The company also provides after-sales services, including maintenance, warranty, and roadside assistance.

Website: www.kia.com/us/en
Social
Email ID: *****@kiaindia.net
Registered Address: 111 PETERS CANYON RD,IRVINE,CA,92606

Key Metrics

Founded Year

1994

Location

Seoul, South Korea

Stage

Public

Latest Funding Round

Grant (prize money), Apr 19, 2024, $*****

Investors

AC Industrials & 2 more

Ranked

6^th among 1014 active competitors

Employee Count

2,483 as on May 31, 2026

Investment & Acquisitions

VAST Data & 27 more

Similar Companies

Toyota & 643 more

Exit Details

Public

View Kia's full profile

Kia is associated with 6 legal entities given below:

Legal Entity Name	Date of Incorporation	Revenue	Latest Employee Count	Reports
PLEJADA SPÓŁKA Z OGRANICZONĄ ODPOWIEDZIALNOŚCIĄ CIN: 0000349985 , Poland, Active	Feb 26, 2010	-	-
GT Line k.s. CIN: 06188885 , Czech Republic, Active	Jun 13, 2017	-	-
KIA AMERICA, INC. CIN: 66417F , United States, Active	Apr 15, 1999	-	834 (As on Dec 31, 2024)	-
KYA SERVICES LTD CIN: 12153261 , United Kingdom, Active	Aug 12, 2019	£0 - £1M (As on Aug 31, 2024)	1 (As on Aug 31, 2024)
KIA INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED CIN: U29309AP2017FTC105878 , India, Active	May 19, 2017	₹1,000+ Cr (As on Mar 31, 2025)	2483 (As on May 31, 2026)
KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC. CIN: 330539850 , United States, Active	Dec 31, 1999	-	-	-

Kia got listed on Jan 03, 2003.

Click here to take a look at Kia's IPO in detail

Kia has raised funding over 13 rounds. Its first funding round was on Jan 03, 2022. Its latest funding round was a Grant (prize money) round on Apr 19, 2024 for $*****. 1 investor participated in its latest round. Kia has 3 institutional investors.

Here is the list of recent funding rounds of Kia:

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Date of Funding	Funding Amount	Round Name	Post-Money Valuation	Revenue Multiple	Lead Investors	Other Investors
Apr 19, 2024	7012906	Grant (prize money)	6811487	2653749	2624302	2396091
Mar 20, 2024	2742128	Grant (prize money)	5535847	2598680	4944526	Ministerstvo Hospodárstva Slovenskej Republiky
Dec 22, 2023	5311444	Grant (prize money)	3596743	6882109	8931938	Ministerstvo Hospodárstva Slovenskej Republiky

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View details of Kia's funding rounds and investors

The founders of Kia is Kim Chul Ho. Han Woo Park, Hyoung Keun Lee and Tae Jin Park are the CEOs of Kia.

Here are the details of Kia's key team members:

Kim Chul Ho: Founder of Kia.
Contact Info: 1 email address
Hyoung Keun Lee: Co-CEO of Kia.
Contact Info: 1 email address
Han Woo Park: Co-CEO of Kia.
Contact Info: 1 email address

View details of Kia's Founder profiles and Board Members

Kia's employee count trend

Kia has 2,483 employees as of May 26. The total employee count is 3.0% more than what it was in May 25. Here is Kia's employee count trend over the years:

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Top competitors of Kia include Toyota, Hyundai Motor Company and Mercedes-Benz. Here is the list of Top 10 competitors of Kia, ranked by Tracxn score:

Rank	Company Details	Short Description	Total Funding	Investors	Tracxn Score
1st	Toyota 1957, Plano (United States), Public	Manufacturer of automotive vehicles	-	DPH Ventures, GE Capital & 1 others	76/100
2nd	Hyundai Motor Company 1967, Seoul (South Korea), Public	Manufacturer of diverse range of vehicles including sedans, SUVs, hatchbacks	-	Ford, SJL Partners & 3 others	75/100
3rd	Mercedes-Benz 1926, Stuttgart (Germany), Public	Brand of luxury car	-	A-Rod, Europa & 1 others	71/100
4th	Volvo Cars 1927, Gothenburg (Sweden), Public	Manufacturer of car and products	$1.07B	AMF, Folksam & 4 others	71/100
5th	Peugeot 1810, Paris (France), Public	Brand of luxury passenger cars	$188M	Perella Weinberg Partners, Europa	70/100
6th	Kia 1994, Seoul (South Korea), Public	Manufacturer of cars, electric vehicles, and mobility solutions	-	AC Industrials, Ministerstvo Hospodárstva Slovenskej Republiky ... & 1 others	70/100
7th	Volkswagen 1937, Reston (United States), Public	Brand of passenger vehicles and financial advisory services	-	Gov Wales, Europa	69/100
8th	BYD 1994, Shenzhen (China), Public	Manufacturer of electric cars, sedans, SUVs, batteries, and rail transit	-	Berkshire Hathaway, Hillhouse & 14 others	69/100
9th	Nissan Motor 1933, Takashima (Japan), Public	Automotive manufacturing company	-	Impact Fund Denmark, Europa	69/100
10th	Ford 1903, Dearborn (United States), Public	Automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer	-	Black Capital Investments, Poku Capital & 15 others	69/100

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Kia has made 27 investments in companies including VAST Data and Upstage. Kia has also acquired 1 companies including 42dot Technologies.

Here is the list of investments & acquisitions:

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Date of Investment/Acquisition	Type	Company Name	Founded Year	Location
Oct 13, 2026	Investments	VAST Data	2016	New York City (United States)
Apr 15, 2026	Investments	Upstage	2020	San Jose (United States)
Mar 04, 2026	Investments	Qnovo	2009	Milpitas (United States)