Robotics investments for July 2023 reached $1.9 billion, coming from 48 funding rounds. As of the end of July, total 2023 funding comes to approximately $8 billion.
July 2023 robotics funding equaled $1.96 billion, the result of 48 investments). The total 2023 funding for January through July comes to approximately $8 billion.
Table 1: July 2023 Robotics Funding and Investment
| Company Name | Amount | Type | Country | Tech-Prod-Services | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asensus Surgical | $10,000,000 | Other | USA | Surgical / Interventional Systems | Asensus Surgical offers an integrated digital surgery solution which includes the surgical robot platform Luna. | ||
| Astrobotic Technology | $34,600,000 | Other | USA | Outdoor Mobile Platforms, Other Education / Research | Astrobotic Technology produces space robotics systems.. | ||
| Aurora | $820,000,000 | Other | USA | Sensors / Sensing Systems, Software, Video / Vision / Imaging | Aurora produces self-driving technology for multiple vehicle types, from freight-hauling trucks to ride-hailing passenger ones. | ||
| Aventurier | Estimate | Other | China | Indoor Mobile Platforms | Aventurier provides commercial cleaning robots. | ||
| Bedrock Ocean Exploration | $25,500,000 | Series A | USA | Unmanned Underwater Vehicles, Operator Services, Data Acquisition / Processing / Management | Bedrock Ocean Exploration provides seafloor data services using portable, autonomous underwater vehicles. | ||
| Beixin Smart | Estimate | Other | China | Indoor Mobile Platforms | Beixin Smart offers mobile robotics systems and other technologies for industrial applications. | ||
| BOTINKIT | $13,000,000 | Series A | China | Other Commercial | BOTINKIT is creating the first robot-based digital food ecosystem in the world. | ||
| CloudMinds | $137,927,229 | Series C | China | Software, Humanoids / Bipeds, Indoor Mobile Platforms | CloudMinds develops an end-to-end ecosystem to support cloud-connected robots and smart machines. | ||
| Collaborative Robotics | $30,000,000 | Series A | USA | Indoor Mobile Platforms, Outdoor Mobile Platforms | Collaborative Robotics is building a flexible mobility platform designed to solve a wide variety of indoor and outdoor tasks. | ||
| Cyber Surgery | Estimate | Other | Spain | Surgical / Interventional Systems | Cyber Surgery provides a robotic navigation solution for spinal procedures. | ||
| DOGU | Estimate | Series A | South Korea | Indoor Mobile Platforms, Outdoor Mobile Platforms | DOGU is a robotics research & development company that provides mobile robotics solutions for security and applications. | ||
| DRB | Estimate | Other | Italy | Drones, Operator Services, Data Acquisition / Processing / Management | DRB provides autonomous drone inspection services. | ||
| DRONAMICS | $2,245,684 | Seed | UK | Drones | DRONAMICS develops unmanned aerial systems for shipping commercial and special cargo applications. | ||
| Ehang | $23,000,000 | Other | China | Drones | Ehang is an autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company. | ||
| EVAR | $16,799,728 | Series B | South Korea | Indoor Mobile Platforms | EVAR provides an EV charging solution enabled by an autonomous mobile robot. | ||
| Verity | $11,000,000 | Series B | Switzerland | Drones, Data Acquisition / Processing / Management | Verity automates inventory checks in warehouses and DCs using autonomous drones. | ||
| Figure | $9,000,000 | Other | USA | Humanoids / Bipeds | Figure Robotics is an AI robotics company that builds multi-purpose humanoids. | ||
| ForwardX Robotics | $27,908,404 | Series C | China | Indoor Mobile Platforms, Forklift AGVs, Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems | ForwardX Robotics specializes in R&D of computer vision robots that apply to consumer and business products. | ||
| HoloMatic | $41,780,984 | Series C | China | Sensors / Sensing Systems, Software, Video / Vision / Imaging | HoloMatic is an autonomous driving technology start-up that provides auto-driven vehicles based on AI and automotive tech. | ||
| insideFPV | $332,251 | Seed | India | Drones | insideFPV provides customized, ready-to-fly FPV drones. | ||
| iotaMotion | $12,000,000 | Series A | USA | Surgical / Interventional Systems | IotaMotion is a medical technology company developing robotics-assisted solutions for cochlear implant surgery. | ||
| iRobot | $200,000,000 | Other | USA | Indoor Mobile Platforms | iRobot produces consumer robotics solutions for home/lawn/pool maintenance work. | ||
| Koop Technologies | $4,000,000 | Seed | USA | Services – Legal | Koop is an insurance technology company specializing in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and machine-centric risks. | ||
| Lyncon | Estimate | Series D | China | Operator Services, Data Acquisition / Processing / Management | Lyncon produces drones and offers drone-enabled services. | ||
| NEURA Robotics | $62,561,828 | Other | Germany | Collaborative Robots, Indoor Mobile Platforms | Neura Robotics develops cognitive robotic systems that can be utilized in both industrial and commercial settings. | ||
| Optimotive | $1,000,000 | Seed | Canada | Outdoor Mobile Platforms | Optimotive produces wheeled autonomous robots focused on automating data collection in muddy, dusty and otherwise unpredictable environments | ||
| Orion Labs | $5,000 | Other | USA | Sensors / Sensing Systems, Software | Orion Labs is an applied robotic research institution focused on applying machine learning to overcome robotics challenges. | ||
| Oversonic Robotics | $5,570,279 | Seed | Italy | Humanoids / Bipeds | Oversonic provides cognitive computing systems for robots and is developing a humanoid robotics platform. | ||
| Puncture Robotic | $13,837,000 | Series A | China | Collaborative Robots, Sensors / Sensing Systems | Puncture Robotic develops venipuncture robots that help in conducting blood collection without human intervention. | ||
| RoboDeck | $2,000,000 | Seed | Israel | Outdoor Mobile Platforms | RoboDeck is developing an autonomous robot for cleaning and staining outdoor wooden decks | ||
| Robosense | $164,054,206 | Series G | China | Sensors / Sensing Systems | Robosense provides sensing solutions for autonomous driving. | ||
| Robros | $1,243,539 | Seed | South Korea | Articulated Robots | Robros develops robotics technology for food handling tasks.. | ||
| Seegrid | $15,999,998 | Other | USA | Indoor Mobile Platforms | Seegrid is a provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and enterprise software for material handling. | ||
| Senior Automation | Estimate | Other | China | Autonomous Transportation Systems | Senior Automation is a technology company that focuses on the research and commercialization of logistics truck driverless technology | ||
| Simbe Robotics | $28,000,000 | Series B | USA | Indoor Mobile Platforms, Sensors / Sensing Systems | Simbe Robotics builds robotics solutions for shelf auditing and analytics. | ||
| Sinovation Medical | $13,993,059 | Series D | China | Articulated Robots, Sensors / Sensing Systems, Video / Vision / Imaging | Sinovation Medical is developing a robotic, minimally invasive neurosurgery system. | ||
| sliQue Robotics | Estimate | Seed | USA | Indoor Mobile Platforms | sliQue Robotics develops mobile robots and other technologies for various commercial sectors. | ||
| Sum | Estimate | Seed | South Korea | Microcontrollers / Microprocessors / SoC, Software | SUM is a self-driving technology start-up comprised of significant professionals. | ||
| Suzhou Aijiwei Robot | $13,912,462 | Other | China | Automated Guide Vehicles (AGVs), Indoor Mobile Platforms | Suzhou Aijiwei Robot develops automated guided vehicles (AGV) to facilitate warehousing operations. | ||
| Syrius Robotics | $13,797,861 | Other | China | Indoor Mobile Platforms | Syrius Robotics develops autonomous mobile robots with a self-developed operational system, software platform, and AIoT cloud service. | ||
| Telexistence | $159,747,626 | Series B | Japan | Indoor Mobile Platforms | Telexistence offers autonomous mobile robots for retail operations. | ||
| Tusk Robots | Estimate | Series A | China | Indoor Mobile Platforms, Automated Guide Vehicles | Tuskrobots develops AMR/AGVs that automate pallet movement. | ||
| Vividobots | Estimate | Seed | India | Outdoor Mobile Platforms | Vividobots is developing an autonomous robotic solution for the exterior painting of high-rise buildings. | ||
| Voyant Photonics | $3,193,224 | Other | USA | Sensors / Sensing Systems, Microcontrollers / Microprocessors / SoC | Voyant Photonics manufactures LIDAR-on-a-chip solutions to perform 3D sensing, measure range, velocity, and reflectivity. | ||
| Yihang.ai | Estimate | Other | China | Sensors / Sensing Systems, Software | Yihang.ai manufactures autonomous driving systems. | ||
| Zozen | Estimate | Series B | China | Surgical / Interventional Systems | Zozen specializes in the development of spinal minimally invasive surgical robots. | ||
| ZS Robotics | Estimate | Other | China | Automated Storage & Retrieval Systems | ZS Robotics produces intelligent robotic storage solutions. | ||
Companies based in China received the majority of the rounds (18), which resulted in a total funding inflow of $501 million (Figure 1, below). Firms based in the USA attracted $1.2 billion in funding (coming from 14 rounds), with investment into autonomous vehicle technology provider Aurora accounting for $820 million of that sum. Japan’s Telexistence, a provider of autonomous mobile robots for retail operations, attracted $160 million in funding. This single investment propelled Japan into third place among countries for total July 2023 funding amounts.
In keeping with well-established robotics funding trends, providers of self-driving software and hardware solutions for autonomous transportation secured sizable investment amounts. Examples include Aurora ($820M), Robosense ($164M), and HoloMatic ($48M).
July 2023 robotics investments were notable for the large number of rounds into producers of AMR solutions. Collaborative Robotics ($30M), Seegrid ($16M), Suzhou Aijiwei Robot ($14M), and Syrius Robotics ($14M) serve as examples.
Providers of drones, drone-enabled analytic services and enabling technologies also continue to attract the attention of the investment community. For example, Ehang ($23M), Verity ($11M), Lyncon ($5M) and others received rounds.
Figure 1: July 2023 Robotics Investment by Country
June 2023 robotics investments were atypical in that most funding fell under the aegis of ‘Other’, a catchall descriptor for investments that do not include the typical stages of funding that businesses go through before their initial public offering (ex. Seed rounds followed by Series A, B, C, D and E funding).
Figure 2: July 2023 Robotics Funding Amounts by Investment Type
Figure 3: July 2023 Robotics Funding Amounts by Investment Number and Amounts
Editor’s note: What defines robotics investments? The answer to this simple question is central in any attempt to quantify them 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, analyze, 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 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 several public and private sources. These include press releases from corporations and investment groups, corporate briefings, market research firms, 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 and estimates are made where investment amounts are not provided or are unclear.
