The Sherpa robot is designed to move trolleys in manufacturing logistics, assembly lines, and warehouses. | Source: Ati Motors
Ati Motors yesterday said it has closed a $20 million Series B investment round. The autonomous mobile robot, or AMR, provider said the capital will enable it to accelerate the development of its robotic workforce.
“Since our founding, Ati Motors’ mission has been to create advanced, reliable products that enhance both productivity and efficiency in industrial settings,” stated Saurabh Chandra, founder and CEO of Ati Motors.
“This funding will accelerate our ability to leverage our extensive real-world dataset to develop next-generation AI models and further advance our industrial autonomy platform,” he added. “The rapid growth we’re experiencing validates our approach of focusing on manufacturing as a vertical and conceptualizing these robots as purpose-built self-driving vehicles.”
Sherpa robots mark strong growth
While manufacturers around the world are interested in adopting automation for dull, dirty, and dangerous tasks, they are constrained by the availability of robots that can perform as well as people in real-world scenarios, said Ati Motors.
The company said its AMRs deliver “industry-leading uptime” and can help customers improve productivity in dynamic and complex manufacturing environments. Ati’s product range includes tugs, bin movers, pallet movers, and lifting platforms.
The flagship Sherpa Tug, which features 3D navigation and outdoor capabilities, has logged over 500,000 km (310,685.5 mi.) across 50+ factories, the company noted. It has deployed hundreds of its Sherpa robots across 40 leading manufacturers, 30% of which are Fortune 500 companies. These include Forvia and Hyundai, which have multiple scaled deployments in North America.
The funding came on the heels of a successful end to 2024. Ati Motors said it tripled its order book in Q4 of 2024, adding nine industry-leading clients. Serving global leaders in the automotive, appliances, aerospace, and electronics sectors, the company has secured over $37 million in funding to date.
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Inside Ati Motors’ plans for the funding
Walden Catalyst Ventures (WCV) and NGP Capital (NGP) led Ati Motors’ Series B round. It also included participation from current investors, including True Ventures, Exfinity Venture Partners, Athera Venture Partners, and Blume Ventures.
“Ati Motors represents the future of industrial automation,” said Shankar Chandran, a partner at Walden Catalyst Ventures. “Their unique combination of advanced AI capabilities and robotics, along with a deep understanding of manufacturing environments, positions them perfectly to lead the next wave of industrial automation. The impressive growth they’ve achieved validates their approach and demonstrates the strong market demand for their solutions.”
Ati said it will use the funding to accelerate product development, expand its market presence in North America and Asia-Pacific (APAC), and strengthen its position as a leading provider of industrial automation at the intersection of artificial intelligence and robotics.
The company recently established operations in Mexico and strengthened its presence in the U.S., India, and Southeast Asia. It is also currently expanding its North American headquarters to Detroit, Mich.
“We’re excited to co-lead this investment in Ati Motors,” said Upal Basu at NGP Capital. “The company’s ability to successfully deploy fully autonomous mobile robots across diverse industrial environments, combined with their rapidly growing customer base, makes them a standout in the industrial automation space. We believe their unique approach to combining edge AI, lidar, and robotics will help address a critical need in the manufacturing sector.”
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