Japan space robotics start-up gets $17m
Gitai, a Japanese start-up developing a humanoid general-purpose work robot for use in space, has secured a JPY1.8 billion ($17 million) Series B round from local VCs.
Gitai aims to provide an inexpensive and safe means of working in orbit and building infrastructure on the Moon and Mars. The company has positioned itself as differentiated in the space tech space by focusing on on-site operations rather than transportation or communications.
There are three hardware products currently in development, including a humanoid robot called G1 (pictured), an articulated pincer arm with visual sensors, and a joystick for controlling robots. They are expected to be used for base construction, removal of orbital debris, and satellite repair work. Gitai plans to perform a technical demonstration inside the International Space Station within the year, according to a statement.
Series B investors include Global Brain, Sparx Group, a VC unit of Daiwa Corporate Investment, and Dai-ichi Life Insurance. Global Brain is investing via its JPY5 billion EP-GB fund set up last year in partnership with Epson X Investment. Sparx is participating through its Space Frontier Fund, which reached a first close last year of JPY8.2 billion against a target of JPY8.2 billion.
Spiral Ventures Japan, formerly known as IMJ Investment Partners, led a JPY440 million Series A in 2019 that featured DBJ Capital, Coral Capital, and J-Power, a domestic electricity generation and distribution business. Local VC firm Anri and Coral, then known as 500 Startups Japan, provided $1.2 million in seed funding in late 2017.
Japan is a leading jurisdiction in Asia for space technology development and investment. Local VC-backed companies addressing similar operational niches include Astroscale, a orbital debris cleaning specialist that raised a $191 million Series E last year that also featured Sparx’s Space Frontier Fund. This coincided with a $28 million Series B for lunar exploration technology developer iSpace, which is also backed by Sparx and DBJ.
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