Nepes
Public · 1 known investors
nepes is a South Korean technology company focused on semiconductor packaging and test services (PLP/FOWLP/WLP, bumping, FOW-SiP) along with AI-based predictive maintenance and vision inspection, IT process chemicals, rechargeable battery components, and energy/green construction materials. Founded in 1990, it is publicly listed on KOSDAQ and serves industrial and manufacturing customers.
Also known as 033640.KQ · nepes · nepes Corporation · 네패스
Investors · 1
Company profile
researched Aug 2026nepes Corporation is a South Korean company headquartered in Cheongju-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, that operates across semiconductor back-end services, electronic and process chemicals, rechargeable battery components, energy/eco-friendly construction materials and artificial intelligence. Its semiconductor business covers flip-chip bumping foundry work, wafer-level packaging (WLP), fan-out wafer-level and panel-level packaging (FOWLP/FOPLP), FOW-SiP and wafer/final test services, marketed as turnkey packaging solutions. Reported fan-out capabilities include FO-SiP, FO-EDP, FO-PoP and 2.5D structures.
Outside semiconductors, nepes manufactures functional process chemicals for semiconductor and display customers, lead tabs for secondary cells (ESS and automotive) and LIB anode electrodes, functional film, and eco-friendly architectural materials including smart window, Low-E and smart film products, alongside an eco-friendly special waste pyrolysis business. Its AI activities include predictive maintenance and vision inspection, mass production of AI neuromorphic semiconductors begun in 2017, and a digital education brand, CoCoaFab, that develops AI and digital learning content and participates in Korean public education programs.
The group is organized around several affiliates and campuses: nepes Ark (test, listed on KOSDAQ in 2020), nepes Yahad (formerly nepes Display, lead tabs), nepes Laweh (FOPLP), nepes hayyim (Philippines fan-out wafer and panel level packaging), iridos (color and functional pastes), and nepes ENC.
Founding story
The company was established in December 1990 under the name Clean Creative and launched an industrial clean room business in 1992. Its name, nepes, is given by the company as meaning "eternal life," and its stated management philosophy is "a life of service, an attitude of challenge, and a heart of gratitude."
Business model
nepes operates as a manufacturer and outsourced back-end service provider, running bumping, wafer-level and fan-out packaging and test lines for semiconductor customers on a turnkey basis, and manufacturing and selling process and functional chemicals, secondary-battery lead tabs and anode electrodes, functional films and eco-friendly construction materials. It also provides AI software and services such as predictive maintenance and vision inspection, and education content through the CoCoaFab brand.
Revenue comes from manufacturing and service contracts: semiconductor packaging and test services (flip-chip bumping foundry, WLP, FOWLP/FOPLP, wafer and final test), sales of process and functional chemicals and pastes, battery lead tabs and film products, energy and construction materials, plus AI and education-related programs including publicly funded projects.
Traction
The company website reports annual sales of about KRW 480 billion (stated in the English version as roughly KRW 418.4 billion in 2019) and about 2,300 employees. It has received numerous Korean industry recognitions, including selection as a World Class 300 company (2015), World-Class Product of Korea designations for its products (2016) and WLP (2023), a Prime Minister citation as a leading Fourth Industrial Revolution company (2018), the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit and top-10 lighthouse company selection (2022), and Innovation Premier 1000 selection (2025). Affiliate nepes Yahad completed a government-supported robot automation project in its battery lead tab lines between April and November 2025.
Latest developments
In December 2025 nepes' semiconductor research institute presented embedded bridge die interposer work using fan-out packaging at IEEE EPTC 2025 in Singapore, and nepes Ark signed a work-learning parallel agreement with Yeungnam University College for semiconductor test talent. In March 2026 nepes Yahad reported completion of robot-based automation in its secondary battery lead tab welding and shipping-inspection processes under a Ministry of SMEs and Startups program, with plans to link the data to MES for AI-based predictive management. In May 2026 the CoCoaFab education brand was selected for a third consecutive year as a provider for the Ministry of Education's Visiting School Consulting project. In June 2026 Maeil Business Newspaper reported growing interest in nepes as a reshored company benefiting from advanced packaging demand and expanding domestic investment. In July 2026 the company held an investor relations presentation, and in August 2026 it donated 16 semiconductor equipment units to Chungbuk Semiconductor High School.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
nepes is described in Korean press as a leading player in advanced packaging and a company that has reshored operations to Korea, positioned as an anchor company in the Chungcheongbuk-do region. Coverage frames it as shifting from a conventional back-end process supplier to a technology-driven packaging firm as AI semiconductors, autonomous driving and HPC increase demand for advanced packaging. It is a member of the International Semiconductor Industry Group and joined the UCIe consortium and the American Semiconductor Innovation Coalition in 2022.
nepes combines fan-out wafer- and panel-level packaging with bumping and test under one turnkey offering, and has built capability in fan-out based interposers for heterogeneous integration of NPUs and HBMs as an alternative to silicon interposers. It also spans adjacent materials and AI businesses—process chemicals, battery lead tabs, functional films and neuromorphic/AI software—within a single group structure.
Technology
Core technologies span flip-chip bumping (8-inch gold and solder bump, 12-inch solder bump), wafer-level packaging, panel-level packaging (mass production system built in 2017), and fan-out packaging variants including FO-SiP, FO-EDP, FO-PoP and 2.5D. In 2023 the company reported commercializing a PI-exception package technology. Its semiconductor research institute presented work at IEEE EPTC 2025 in Singapore on an embedded bridge die interposer built with fan-out packaging for heterogeneous integration of NPUs and HBMs, describing in-house redistribution and die-bonding process development and prototype samples, and is developing 2.5D and edge-computing follow-on processes. The company also produces AI neuromorphic semiconductors and applies AI to predictive maintenance and vision inspection.
Go-to-market
The company serves semiconductor and industrial customers directly through its Korean fabs and campuses, supported by overseas sales and operating entities including nepes US (San Diego semiconductor sales office), nepes hokmah (San Jose, AI), Jiangsu nepes (China bumping and WLP), nepes hayyim (Philippines fan-out packaging) and nepes abadi (Jakarta LED sales office). It participates in government-backed industrial and education programs and industry conferences, and maintains industry-academia partnerships such as nepes Ark's work-learning parallel agreement with Yeungnam University College and equipment donations to Chungbuk Semiconductor High School.
Semiconductor and display manufacturers requiring outsourced packaging, bumping and test; battery and automotive/ESS cell makers buying lead tabs and anode electrodes; industrial manufacturers adopting AI predictive maintenance and vision inspection; construction and energy customers for smart window, Low-E and smart film materials; and schools and public education bodies for its CoCoaFab AI/digital education programs.
Geography
Headquarters and main manufacturing are in Korea: Cheongju Campus 1, Cheongju Campus 2 (headquarters, 12-inch solder bump, WLP, test, lead tab, R&D center), Cheongju Campus 3 and Onsan Campus (iridos), Cheongan Campus in Goesan (FOPLP, test, electronic materials, chemical fab), Eumseong Campus (IT materials), a Seoul office in Seocho-gu, and a training institute in Goesan. Overseas operations include nepes US (San Diego), nepes hokmah (San Jose), Jiangsu nepes (Huai'an, China), nepes hayyim (Laguna Technopark, Philippines) and nepes abadi (Jakarta, Indonesia); an LED factory in Russia was completed in 2013 and nepes rus was established in 2011.
History
nepes was established in December 1990, starting as Clean Creative, and entered the industrial clean room business in 1992. It set up an R&D center in 1996, listed on KOSDAQ in December 1999 (ticker 033640), and built electronic materials plants in Ochang between 2001 and 2006. Subsidiaries followed, including a Singapore joint venture (2006), nepes LED (2008), a German R&D center BMP-NEPES-GmbH (2009), iridos production and nepes Display (2010), nepes rus (2011) and Jiangsu nepes in China (2014, fab completed 2015). It began mass production of panel level packaging and AI neuromorphic semiconductors in 2017, established nepes Ark and acquired Deca Technologies' Philippine FOWLP fab in 2019, listed nepes Ark on KOSDAQ and established nepes laweh while renaming nepes Display to nepes yahad in 2020, completed the Cheongan Campus chemical fab in 2021, joined UCIe and ASIC in 2022, and commercialized PI-exception package technology in 2023.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 16
launches, deals, and filingsnepes announced it would donate 16 semiconductor equipment units, including nine back-end process tools, to Chungbuk Semiconductor High School; the agreement ceremony was held at Cheongju Campus 2.
nepes held a corporate IR presentation for institutional investors and securities analysts and published the presentation materials.
nepes' education brand CoCoaFab was selected as a service provider for the Ministry of Education-led "Visiting School Consulting" project for a third consecutive year, working in consortium with Seoul National University's Center for Future Education Innovation and Team Monolith.
Company disclosure filings list a change of head office location and reporting on the appointment/dismissal of independent directors.
After selection on March 7, 2025 for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups / Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement "Robot-Based Manufacturing Innovation Support Program," nepes Yahad completed robot-driven logistics automation of welding and final inspection stages in secondary battery lead tab production between April 1 and November 30, 2025.
Affiliate nepes Ark signed an industry-academia agreement in semiconductor test to link training and hiring.
The nepes semiconductor research institute presented "Development of Embedded Bridge Die Interposer Using Fan-out Packaging for Heterogeneous Integration of NPUs and HBMs" at the IEEE Electronics Packaging Technology Conference held in Singapore from December 2-5, 2025.
The company states it commercialized what it describes as the world's first PI exception package technology.
nepes joined the Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe) consortium and the American Semiconductor Innovation Coalition, and published its first ESG report.
Initial offering of nepes Ark on KOSDAQ, establishment of nepes laweh, completion of the PLP fab at Cheongan Campus and the renaming of nepes Display to nepes yahad.
nepes acquired the Philippine fan-out wafer level packaging fab of Deca Technologies and established nepes Ark in the same year.
Set up the Jiangsu nepes joint venture in China; construction of the Chinese fab was completed in 2015.
nepes completed its initial offering on the KOSDAQ market under ticker 033640.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Nepesnepes.co.kr · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Nepes do?
- KOSDAQ-listed South Korean supplier of advanced semiconductor packaging and test, electronic materials, battery components and AI services.
- Who are Nepes's investors?
- Nepes's investors include Kiwoom Investment.