Samsung Acquires Rainbow Robotics, Zuppa's $16M Fundraising & AI Robotics Market to Hit $165B

Hi there,

In this edition of the Robotics Brief, we're diving into the latest developments in the AI and robotics sectors. Zuppa, a drone technology company, is on the lookout for $16 million in its upcoming fundraising round, aiming to bolster its innovative drone solutions. Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics has taken a significant step by acquiring a majority stake in Rainbow Robotics, a move that has received the green light from South Korea's Fair Trade Commission, signaling Samsung's commitment to advancing its robotics technologies.

Additionally, GigaMedia Limited has made a strategic financial move by purchasing a $2.6 million convertible note from Aeolus Robotics Corporation, which includes a conversion option into Aeolus shares. On a broader scale, a study by BCC Research forecasts the AI-driven robotics market to reach a staggering $165 billion by 2029, highlighting the rapid growth and potential of AI and automation advancements in the industry. Stay tuned as we explore these stories and more in this edition.

Zuppa Seeks $16 Million in Fundraising

Zuppa, a drone technology company, is aiming to raise $16 million in its next fundraising round. Read more

Samsung Acquires Majority Stake in Rainbow Robotics

Samsung Electronics has obtained approval from South Korea's Fair Trade Commission to acquire a majority stake in Rainbow Robotics, a move aimed at advancing its robotics technologies. Read more

GigaMedia Buys $2.6M Convertible Note from Aeolus Robotics

GigaMedia Limited has acquired a $2.6 million convertible promissory note from Aeolus Robotics Corporation. The note features a 4.5% annual interest rate and a conversion option into Aeolus shares. Read more

AI-Driven Robotics Market to Reach $165 Billion by 2029

A study by BCC Research projects the global robotics market to grow significantly, reaching $165.2 billion by 2029, fueled by AI and automation advancements. Read more

Shield AI Secures $240 Million to Expand Hivemind Platform

On March 6, 2025, Shield AI announced a $240 million funding round, raising its valuation to $5.3 billion. The investment will support the expansion of Hivemind Enterprise, a platform for developing autonomy in intelligent machines. Read more

Associated Food Stores Begins Warehouse Automation with Symbotic

Associated Food Stores has initiated the first phase of its distribution center automation project in Farr West, Utah, in collaboration with Symbotic Inc. This project aims to boost supply chain efficiency for nearly 500 independent grocers in the Intermountain West. Read more

Percepto and Chevron Test AI Inspections

Percepto and Chevron have reached a six-month milestone in their project to evaluate AI-driven remote inspections in Texas and Colorado. The initiative focuses on improving operational efficiency and workforce safety. Read more

Hyundai and Avride to Develop IONIQ 5 Robotaxis

Hyundai Motor Company has partnered with Avride to develop autonomous robotaxis using Hyundai IONIQ 5 vehicles. The collaboration aims to expand Avride's fleet with these vehicles, integrating their autonomous technology for a launch in Dallas later this year. Read more

Ainos and ugo Partner for Robots with Smell Detection

Ainos Inc. and ugo Inc. have partnered to integrate AI Nose technology into autonomous robots, enhancing their ability to detect smells for improved safety and monitoring. Read more

Firestorm Labs Secures STRATFI Funding for UAS

Firestorm Labs has received PY25.1 STRATFI funding to advance the production and deployment of modular unmanned aerial systems, supporting military operations. Read more

Nisbets Partners with Geekplus Robotics

Nisbets, a distributor of catering equipment, has implemented Geekplus robotics at its Avonmouth warehouse to boost efficiency and accuracy. This move involves deploying 190 Autonomous Mobile Robots and aims to strengthen Nisbets' market position. Read more

Netherlands Allocates €700 Million for Ukrainian Drone Support

The Netherlands has committed €700 million to support Ukraine with drones, as part of a broader defense cooperation effort discussed by Ukraine's Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and Dutch Minister Ruben Brekelmans. Read more

Hanwha Defense Unveils AI and Unmanned Vehicle Roadmap

Hanwha Defense has revealed a detailed plan for developing unmanned vehicles and AI technologies, aiming for completion by 2028. The roadmap was presented at the 7th DAPA-GO 2.0 meeting and includes solutions for land, sea, and air operations. Read more

Plus and TIER IV Collaborate on Driverless Trucks in Japan

Plus and TIER IV have partnered to develop Level 4 autonomous driving solutions in Japan, focusing on driverless trucks to tackle the country's truck driver shortage and support government initiatives. Read more

AgiBot Unveils China's First General Large Model GO-1

On March 10, 2025, AgiBot introduced Genie Operator-1 (GO-1), marking China's first general large model with embodied intelligence. This model is designed to improve humanoid robots' ability to learn from human actions and perform tasks autonomously. Read more

Locus Robotics Introduces AI Software for Warehouses

Locus Robotics has launched LocusINTELLIGENCE, an AI-driven software within its LocusONE™ platform, to improve warehouse operations with real-time decision-making and insights. The company plans to present this at LogiMAT and ProMat in 2025. Read more

Polybot Secures Funding for AI Harvesting Robotics

The Polybot project has been awarded a grant of approximately 220,000 euros from SPRIND to develop an autonomous agricultural robot for harvesting. This funding aims to transition the project from research to startup, enhancing polyculture farming with AI technology. Read more

Hugging Face and Yaak Introduce L2D Dataset for Self-Driving Cars

Hugging Face and AI startup Yaak have expanded the LeRobot platform by adding the Learning to Drive dataset, sourced from German driving schools, to aid in developing self-driving models. Read more

Dexterity Inc. Raises $95 Million in Funding

Dexterity Inc., a startup focused on industrial robots, has secured $95 million in funding, bringing its valuation to $1.65 billion. The investment round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sumitomo Corp., reflecting growing interest in AI-driven robotics. Read more

STRADVISION Reaches 3 Million Units with AI Vision Tech

STRADVISION, a company from Seoul, South Korea, has announced that it has exceeded 3 million units in cumulative production of its AI-powered vision perception technology. In 2024, 1.67 million vehicles were equipped with its SVNet software, showing a 59% growth compared to the previous year. Read more

Shanghai Electric Opens Humanoid Robot Training Facility

Shanghai Electric has launched China's first heterogeneous humanoid robot training facility, aiming to train up to 1,000 robots by 2027 for various industries. Read more

Valens, RGo, and CHERRY Collaborate on AI Robotics

Valens Semiconductor, RGo Robotics, and CHERRY Embedded Solutions have announced a partnership to enhance AI robotic systems design, integrating their technologies for improved flexibility and cost-efficiency. Read more

WeRide and Renault Group Launch Autonomous Robobus Trial in Barcelona

WeRide and Renault Group have initiated their first autonomous Robobus trial in Barcelona, Spain, scheduled from March 10 to 14, 2025. The trial is set to showcase Level-4 autonomous vehicle capabilities in an urban setting, providing free rides to the public. Read more

Cyngn to Deploy DriveMod Tugger at Fortune 500 Automotive Supplier

Cyngn Inc. has secured a contract to implement its DriveMod Tugger at a global Fortune 500 automotive supplier, focusing on automating the movement of finished goods. This contract underscores the increasing interest in autonomous vehicle solutions within the manufacturing industry. Read more

Telexistence Uses AI Robots in 300 Stores with Microsoft Azure

Telexistence Inc. has deployed AI and remote-controlled robots in 300 convenience stores to improve efficiency. The robots, called TX SCARA, help with tasks like beverage restocking, and the company has moved its data operations to Microsoft Azure for cost optimization and better human-robot collaboration. Read more

Lila Sciences Secures $200 Million for AI-Driven Labs

Lila Sciences, a biotech firm, has launched with $200 million in seed financing to develop AI-powered autonomous laboratories capable of conducting experiments and analyzing data. Read more

Lotus Robotics and CaoCao Mobility Launch Autonomous Driving Platform

Lotus Robotics and CaoCao Mobility have introduced China's first comprehensive autonomous driving system for robotaxis. The platform, featuring the ROBO Soul software, completed a pilot in Suzhou and Hangzhou with over 13,500 km driven autonomously. Read more

QNX Unveils Safety Platform for AI Robotics with Intel and NexCOBOT

QNX, part of BlackBerry, has launched a new Functional Safety platform for advanced robotics, in partnership with Intel and NexCOBOT. The platform integrates safety and control functions to improve efficiency and safety in AI robotics. Read more

Coco Robotics and OpenAI Partner for AI Research

Coco Robotics and OpenAI have announced a research collaboration to advance AI and robotics, focusing on automating urban tasks like path planning and obstacle avoidance. Read more

Entropy Robotics and SRI Collaborate on Navigation Tech

Entropy Robotics has partnered with SRI to enhance autonomous navigation technology for robots and drones, focusing on challenging environments and GPS-denied areas. Read more

Shield AI Appoints New CEO and President

Shield AI, a defense technology company, has appointed Gary Steele as CEO and Ryan Tseng as President to support growth in autonomy software and defense aircraft. Read more

Google DeepMind Introduces Gemini Robotics AI Models

Google DeepMind has launched two new AI models, Gemini Robotics and Gemini Robotics-ER, designed to improve robotic capabilities by integrating vision, language, and physical actions for real-world tasks. Read more

CaPow Secures $15 Million for Wireless Charging Tech

Israeli startup CaPow has raised $15 million in a Series A funding round led by Toyota Ventures to advance its wireless charging technology for robots, enhancing efficiency in industrial environments. Read more

Samsung Acquires Rainbow Robotics, Zuppa's $16M Fundraising & AI Robotics Market to Hit $165B - Robotics Brief #8

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