The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Robotics investments February 2019

By Eugene Demaitre | March 1, 2019

Robotics investments recap: February 2019

ReWalk and Corindus were among the recipients of funding in February 2019.

Robotics investments totaled at least $4.3 billion in February 2019 in a steep increase from January, which had about $1.4 billion. In addition, companies reported approximately $3.9 billion worth of acquisitions this past month. Any political or economic jitters have not yet harmed the mood for robot deals.

The Robotic Industries Association noted yesterday that robot sales in the U.S. continue to grow, especially in areas outside of automotive manufacturing. It cited demand in food and consumer goods, plastics and rubber, life sciences, and electronics.

Surgical robots, autonomous vehicles, wearable devices, and military robotics led investments for February 2019. See the table below, which lists amounts in millions of dollars where they were available:

February 2019 Robotics Investments

CompanyAmt. (M$)TypeLead investor, partnerDateTechnology
Aerobotics Pty. Ltd.2investmentPaper Plane Ventures2/27/2019aerial drones
AIStorm13.2Series AEgis Technology, TowerJazz, Meyer Corp., Linear Dimensions Semiconductor2/11/2019AI, edge processing
Aqrose Technology4Series ALegend Capital2/28/2019machine vision
ASTI Mobile Roboticsminority stakeKeensight Capital2/5/2019AGVs
Aurora Innovation Inc.530Series BAmazon.com Inc.2/7/2019self-driving cars
Beijing Surgerii TechnologySeries AShunwei Capital2/27/2019surgical
Corindus Vascular Robotics Inc.15stock offering2/26/2019surgical
Horizon Robotics600Series BSK China, SK Synix2/27/2019AI, IoT
Ike52Series ABain Capital Ventures2/5/2019self-driving trucks
Intuitive Surgical Inc.2000stock repurchase2/1/2019surgical
JIMU Intelligent14Series BTranslink Capital2/25/2019vehicle perception
Lightmatter22Series A-1GV, Matrix Partners, Spark Capital2/25/2019AI
May Mobility22Series AMillennium New Horizons, Cyrus Capital Partners2/12/2019autonomous shuttles
Myomo Inc.6.4stock offering2/12/2019wearables
Nuro.ai940investmentSoftBank Vision Fund2/11/2019robotic delivery
Nyamble Labsearly-stageWaterBridge Ventures2/26/2019cooking
ReWalk Robotics Ltd.4.37stock offeringH.C. Wainwright & Co.2/20/2019exoskeleton
Rockwell Automation Inc.notes offering2/27/2019industrial automation
Sabrewing Aircraft Co.2pre-Series ADrone Fund, Idaten Ventures2/19/2019cargo drone
TuSimple95Series DSina Corp., Composite Capital2/13/2019autonomous trucks
Vicarious Surgical10investmentGates Frontier2/14/2019surgical AR/VR
Vincross10Series A+Lenovo2/19/2019developer kit
ViSenze20Series CGobi Partners, Sonae IM2/19/2019AI, machine vision
Yunji TechnologySeries BHuaxing Growth Capital, CDH Investments2/18/2019service robot

And here are the acquisitions:

February 2019 Robotics Acquisitions

CompanyAmt. (M$)AcquirerDateTechnology
Auris Health3400Johnson & Johnson2/13/2019surgical robots
Axis New England, Axis New YorkMotion Industries 2/13/2019automotive parts
Endeavor Robotics385FLIR Systems2/12/2019ground robots
Gasper EngineeringEckhart Inc.2/4/2019AGVs, cobots
InuktunEddyfi Technologies2/26/2019remote inspection
Ushr Inc.181Dynamic Map Platform Co.2/13/2019maps for self-driving vehicles

Intuitive Surgical leads the way

The biggest transaction of February 2019 was the $2 billion stock repurchase that Intuitive Surgical Inc. filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The surgical robotics leader and maker of the da Vinci system has had enjoyed some good news lately.

In late January, Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Intuitive Surgical stated that its 2018 fourth-quarter revenue grew 17 percent, to $1 billion, less than expected, but still strong. The company said it shipped 290 da Vinci Surgical Systems, compared with 216 in the fourth quarter of 2017.

In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved Intuitive’s Ion lung-biopsy system.

Such dominance comes with challenges, however. Restore Robotics LLC has filed a complaint accusing Intuitive of keeping competitors out of the repair market for da Vinci, and rivals are emerging.

This brings us to the other big deal of February 2019: Johnson & Johnson’s $3.4 billion acquisition of Auris Health Inc., whose Monarch endoscopy system has FDA approval for lung procedures. With contingent payments, the purchase could be worth a total of $5.75 billion.

Last November, Redwood City, Calif.-based Auris Health raised $220 million in equity financing.

Robotic surgery companies on the rise

Corindus Vascular Robotics Inc. raised $15 million in February 2019 in a stock offering, and Beijing Surgerii Technology reportedly raised an unspecified amount in Series A funding led by Shunwei Capital.

In addition, Vicarious Surgical, which is developing virtual reality for use in minimally invasive procedures, raised $10 million in funding led by the Gates Foundation. Last November, Medtronic and Mazor Robotics announced a $1.6 billion merger. What’s the reason for all this activity?

As with medical, assistive, and other healthcare robotics, the ramp up to commercial success has been long and slow for surgical robots. The expensive development process, an initial lack of reimbursement, and the need to train physicians and surgeons are all hurdles. However, the long-term benefits are clear to doctors and investors.

Robotics Summit & Expo 2019 logoKeynotes | Speakers | Exhibitors | Register

A study by the University of California, Los Angeles, found that robot-assisted surgery is more expensive than traditional operations because of the need to repurchase instruments. However, the reduction in complications is worth the cost, the researchers concluded.

“Patients are able to get their surgery with smaller incisions, [which leads to a] theoretically faster recovery and less pain,” said Mark Girgis, a surgeon trained to work with robots at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Autonomous vehicles take cash deliveries

The next biggest set of transactions in February 2019 was in self-driving cars, trucks, and delivery vehicles. The SoftBank Vision Fund led a $940 million investment in Nuro.ai, which is developing robotic delivery vehicles.

Birth of a unicorn: Nuro gets $940M from SoftBank for driverless deliveries

Source: Nuro

Horizon Robotics received $600 million in Series B financing led by SK China and SK Hynix. The Beijing-based chipmaker is working on processors to enable artificial intelligence at the edge, including in autonomous vehicles, for the Internet of Things.

“Since its establishment more than three years ago, Horizon Robotics has devoted itself to becoming the leader in edge AI processors and computing platforms — enabling autonomous driving, smart cities, smart robotics, and other AIoT devices,” stated Dr. Yu Kai, founder and CEO of Horizon Robotics.

The Robot Report has already covered a string of transportation-related investments in February 2019. They included Aurora’s $530 million Series B with participation from Amazon, as well as funds for autonomous truck makers TuSimple ($95 million Series D) and Ike ($52 million Series A).

Mapping systems providers teamed up this month, as Tokyo-based Dynamic Map Platform Ltd. acquired Detroit-based Ushr Inc. for $181 million.

“Joining forces with DMP will help us to further access the market for self-driving cars and ADAS [advanced driver-assistance systems], particularly as consumer adoption is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years,” said Bruce Gordon, CEO of Ushr.

Add to that shuttle maker May Mobility’s $22 million Series A, and vehicle perception firm JIMU Intelligent’s $14 million Series B, and the drive to autonomous vehicles is just revving up.

Best of the rest for February 2019

Aside from surgical robotics and autonomous vehicles, wearable technology also got a boost this past month, with Myomo Inc. closing a $6 million round of financing and exoskeleton maker ReWalk Robotics Ltd. closing a public offering of shares worth $4.37 million.

In military robotics, FLIR Systems Inc. acquired Endeavor Robotics for $385 million.


Editors Note: What defines robotics investments? The answer to this simple question is central in any attempt to quantify robotics investments with some degree of rigor. To make investment analyses consistent, repeatable, and valuable, it is critical to wring out as much subjectivity as possible during the evaluation process. This begins with a definition of terms and a description of assumptions.

Investors and Investing
Investment should come from venture capital firms, corporate investment groups, angel investors, and other sources. Friends-and-family investments, government/non-governmental agency grants, and crowd-sourced funding are excluded.

Robotics and Intelligent Systems Companies
Robotics companies must generate or expect to generate revenue from the production of robotics products (that sense, think, and act in the physical world), hardware or software subsystems and enabling technologies for robots, or services supporting robotics devices. For this analysis, autonomous vehicles (including technologies that support autonomous driving) and drones are considered robots, while 3D printers, CNC systems, and various types of “hard” automation are not.

Companies that are “robotic” in name only, or use the term “robot” to describe products and services that that do not enable or support devices acting in the physical world, are excluded. For example, this includes “software robots” and robotic process automation. Many firms have multiple locations in different countries. Company locations given in the analysis are based on the publicly listed headquarters in legal documents, press releases, etc.

Verification
Funding information is collected from a number of public and private sources. These include press releases from corporations and investment groups, corporate briefings, and association and industry publications. In addition, information comes from sessions at conferences and seminars, as well as during private interviews with industry representatives, investors, and others. Unverifiable investments are excluded.

About The Author

Eugene Demaitre

Eugene Demaitre is editorial director of the robotics group at WTWH Media. He was senior editor of The Robot Report from 2019 to 2020 and editorial director of Robotics 24/7 from 2020 to 2023. Prior to working at WTWH Media, Demaitre was an editor at BNA (now part of Bloomberg), Computerworld, TechTarget, and Robotics Business Review.

Demaitre has participated in robotics webcasts, podcasts, and conferences worldwide. He has a master's from the George Washington University and lives in the Boston area.

Comments

  1. EUGENE NISELSON says

    March 7, 2019 at 5:06 pm

    Excellent article, Eugene! Very informative.
    Thank you.

    Reply

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles Read More >

Concept renders showing the different jobs Persona AI's humanoids could be deployed for.
Persona AI raises $27M to develop humanoid robots for shipyards
WeRide's autonomous vehicles.
Uber investing $100M into WeRide to bring robotaxis to 15 cities
Two Glacier robotic recycling sorter systems in a MRF.
Glacier brings in $16M and announces new Recology King deployment
hero image of Yarbo product family.
Yarbo closes Series B funding to continue yard robot expansion

RBR50 Innovation Awards

“rr
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Robotics Professionals.
The Robot Report Listing Database

Latest Episode of The Robot Report Podcast

Automated Warehouse Research Reports

Sponsored Content

  • Sager Electronics and its partners, logos shown here, will exhibit at the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo. Sager Electronics to exhibit at the Robotics Summit & Expo
  • The Shift in Robotics: How Visual Perception is Separating Winners from the Pack
  • An AutoStore automated storage and retrieval grid. Webinar to provide automated storage and retrieval adoption advice
  • Smaller, tougher devices for evolving demands
  • Modular motors and gearboxes make product development simple
The Robot Report
  • Mobile Robot Guide
  • Collaborative Robotics Trends
  • Field Robotics Forum
  • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
  • RoboBusiness Event
  • Robotics Summit & Expo
  • About The Robot Report
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe