Japanese space robot developer gets Series A round

The round was led by Spiral Ventures Japan – formerly known as IMJ Investment Partners – and featured DBJ Capital, Coral Capital and J-Power, a domestic electricity generation and distribution business. Coral Capital was established earlier this year by the Japan team at 500 Startups.

Japan is a leading jurisdiction in Asia for space technology development and investment. Last month, satellite developer and orbital data services provider Synspective secured $100 million in Series A funding. This follows a $90 million Series A for lunar exploration company iSpace and a $23 million Series B for microsatellite maker Axelspace. Meanwhile, Astroscale, which focuses on cleaning up dangerous debris in orbit, is already on to its Series D round.

Gitai previously received a $1.25 million seed investment from 500 Startups Japan and local VC firm Anri in December 2017. The company said in a statement that the round is still open to new investors, though it expects to raise no more than $10 million.

Founded in 2016 by a group of scientists – most of whom are Tokyo University alumni – Gitai specializes in human-type remote-controlled robots. It initially developed robots to work in environments that are too dangerous for humans, with applications in disaster relief, telemedicine, construction, drone inspection, and autonomous driving. The company refocused exclusively on space in response to the commercialization of the space industry and the emergence of private space companies.

Gitai’s robots are intended to work in low-orbit space stations while being remotely controlled from Earth. The goal is to reduce the burden on astronauts, improve efficiency, and cut costs. It has formed business partnerships with Jsat Corporation, Asia’s largest satellite communication provider, and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Last December, the company conducted experiments in JAXA’s mock-up of the International Space Station’s (ISS) Japanese experiment module, substituting a Gitai robot for an astronaut. It was able to perform 13 out of 18 tasks. As of June, it could complete all 18. The latest funding will support the development of the prototype robot with a view to sending a demonstration model to the ISS by the end of 2020.

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• Topics
• North Asia
• Technology
• Early-stage
• Japan
• Defense & aerospace
• 500 Startups
• Spiral Ventures Japan
• Coral Capital
• The Development Bank of Japan (DBJ)