Unitree closes Series B round for quadruped robots

Unitree Robotics, a Chinese company developing a line of industrial and consumer grade quadruped robots, announced that it brought in hundreds of millions of yuan (100 million yuan is equivalent to more than $15 million) in Series B financing. 

Matrix Partners and Dunhong Capital Management led the funding round, which also included participation from Hexagon AB. Hexagon AB is a manufacturer of sensor, software and autonomous solutions. In 2022 and 2023, Hexagon AB and Unitree plan to work together to combine sensor and motion platforms for industrial-grade quadrupeds. 

Previous investors Shunwei Capital, Winreal Investment and Shenzhen Capital Group also participated in the round. Winsoul Capital acted as Unitree’s exclusive financial advisor during the round. 

Unitree plans to use the funding to increase construction on its mass production lines and strengthen its existing production lines. Strengthening its production lines will ensure Unitree is able to steadily produce its quadrupeds. The company also plans to accelerate research and development on new products. 

Unitree offers a line of consumer grade robots that’s made up of the Go1, BenBen and A1 robots. The Go1 can reach a max speed of 4.7 m/s (10.5 mph) and comes equipped with an intelligent side-follow system, in which the robot walks alongside the user harmoniously. The A1 robot can reach a max running speed of 3.3 m/s (7.4 mph). 

The company’s industrial grade line of quadrupeds includes the B1, Aliengo and Laikago. The B1 can last for up to fours on a single charge and can run up to 1.8 m/s (4 mph). The Aliengo can reach up to 1.5 m/s (3.4 mph) but has a longer battery life and can handle heavier payloads. 

Unitree also offers a robotic arm called Z1 that can cooperate with the Aliengo and B1 robots, along with other mobile robots, to complete tasks. The company offers two versions of the arm, the Air and the Pro, which have a payload of at max 3 kg (8 lbs).