Chinese smart robot maker gets $14m Series A

Prior to this round, Robosen received angel funding from Fortune Capital in 2017 and a Pre-Series A round from iFlytek and Share Capital. The latter is a Shenzhen-based investment firm that has RMB8 billion in assets under management across several funds.

Established in 2008 in Beijing's Zhongguancun district, Robosen produces so-called intelligent transformer robots. The machines use a flexible structure comprising more than 3,000 modules made from aerospace-grade materials, which allow highly precise and complex movements. The robots are powered by 22 high-precision motors, enabling them to switch automatically from walking to driving to dancing movements.

The company’s main product is T9 (pictured), which is scheduled for launch in China in July. It is an auto-transformer robot, controlled through voice commands or an app, that can be used for coding and playing augmented reality games. The T9 takes on different shapes - such as humanoid and vehicle - and can be programmed for more complicated tasks.

“Robosen combines hardware and software capabilities quite well. The entry barrier for players who’d like to access the transformer robots field has been set high and it will take the company's rivals at least three to five years to catch up,” said Xiangyu Zhang, a managing director at CMB.

Most robotics developers in China focus on smart industrial or in-home functions. The bulk of private funding has gravitated towards industrial robot manufacturers, with the likes of Hangzhou Guochen Robotic Technology and Emergen, raising RMB100 million and RMB200 million, respectively.

• Tweet  
• Facebook  
• LinkedIn  
• Google plus  
• Save this article  
• Send to  

• Topics
• Greater China
• Early-stage
• Industrials
• Technology
• China
• TMT