Shenzhen-based home robotics company UBTECH announced this
week that it has closed a massive $820 million Series C. The round, led by
Tencent and a whole slew of other investors, follows a $100 million Series B
and $20 million Series C.
The bipedal robotics maker certainly isn’t a household name
here in the States — though the company’s taken a few baby steps over here,
including a walking Stormtrooper robot released alongside The Last Jedi. It
also debuted a “robotic butler” with a tablet face back at CES in January that
seemed more proof of concept than shipping product — though UBTECH has promised
a broad 2019 release date.
CEO James Zhou has promised the company will use this huge
backing to accelerate its vision of bringing robots into the home.
“As technology evolves to include more voice and touch
capabilities, people need new devices that communicate and interact more
naturally and intuitively at home, at school and at work,” he said in a release
tied to the announcement. “While trends in robots and robotics are developing,
no company has yet stepped forward with the resources, vision and products
ecosystem to transform robot fantasy and fiction into robot reality. UBTECH is
bringing this reality to life by expanding the possibilities for innovation.”
The company says the funding will go into R&D, hires and
expanding its global footprint. UBTECH is one of a number of companies pushing
home robotics beyond the Roomba, including a rumored upcoming device from
Amazon. The technology has been a tough nut to crack in the preceding decades,
but an $820 million investment certainly couldn’t hurt.
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