Mecka AI nears $500 million valuation, D-Robotics closes $400 million, and more - Robotics Brief #86

September 17, 2026 - Robotics Brief
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This week, Maven Robotics raises $100 million for warehouse robots designed for mixed palletizing, while D-Robotics closes a $400 million Series C round to expand its Sunrise chip portfolio and robotics software. In transport, ZYT demonstrates its JIMU 2.0 truck driving assistance system in Europe, and A Better Road Forward begins a campaign to support autonomous passenger vehicle authorization in New York.

Telit Cinterion will demonstrate AI based fault detection and recovery for production lines at IMTS 2026, while Voxel adds leaders across revenue, perception and AI, and field technology. Also, O'Shaughnessy Ventures awards Alistair Pernigo a fellowship to develop a machine olfaction prototype for applications including robotics and industrial safety.
Agility Robotics unveils Digit 5 humanoid robot
Agility Robotics introduces Digit 5, a humanoid robot designed for warehouse work near people, including depalletizing, kitting and palletizing. The company reports more than $300 million in multiyear orders, with early access planned for the first half of 2027. Read more
Pony.ai unveils Level 4 robotruck with GAC Commercial Vehicle
Pony.ai and GAC Commercial Vehicle unveiled a Level 4 autonomous heavy duty truck at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in Hannover. Built on the GAC T9 battery electric truck platform, the vehicle is planned for volume production later in 2026. Read more
Hyundai Motor Group activates AI Data Flywheel
Hyundai Motor Group activates its AI Data Flywheel to collect driving data and train, validate and deploy autonomous driving systems. The company is developing Level 2+ and Level 2++ vehicles with NVIDIA and Atria AI, while planning a Level 4 pilot in Gwangju by the end of 2026. Read more
D-Robotics closes $400 million Series C round
D-Robotics closed a $400 million Series C funding round on September 17, 2026. The company plans to expand its Sunrise chip portfolio and develop software for AI robotics development. Read more
ZYT debuts JIMU 2.0 truck driving system in Europe
ZYT presented its JIMU 2.0 intelligent driving assistance system in Europe at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 in Hannover, Germany. Demonstrated on a FAW Jiefang heavy truck, the system supports highway navigation on autopilot and active safety functions across urban and highway routes. Read more
Scania launches China venture platform for transport solutions
Scania launches Venture & New Business China, a platform to develop and test transport businesses through partnerships, customer projects and ventures. Led by Kelly Fu, it will focus on energy transition, autonomous transport and new business models. Read more
Zoomlion tests humanoid robots at Beijing World Humanoid Robot Games
Zoomlion entered its humanoid robots in sprinting and jumping events at the Beijing competition, using the trials to evaluate movement, joint response and stability. The company also deploys dozens of the robots in its smart factories for manufacturing work. Read more
O'Shaughnessy Ventures awards machine olfaction fellowship to Alistair Pernigo
O'Shaughnessy Ventures awards San Francisco researcher and entrepreneur Alistair Pernigo a 12 month fellowship grant worth up to $100,000. He will develop and test a machine olfaction prototype for potential uses in robotics, industrial safety and biosecurity. Read more
A Better Road Forward launches New York autonomous vehicle campaign
A Better Road Forward launches a statewide campaign supporting authorization for fully autonomous passenger vehicles in New York. The coalition plans public education, community events, polling, testimonials and paid media as the state currently allows testing but not passenger operations. Read more
ECARX exceeds 12 million vehicle deployments
ECARX says its automotive technology is deployed in more than 12 million vehicles across 18 automakers, 28 brands and 159 markets. The company added over 914,000 deployments in the first half of 2026 and is pursuing the acquisition of Flyme Auto to expand its software business. Read more
QBit Semiconductor unveils QB88XX roadmap for robotic hands and drones
QBit Semiconductor presented its QB88XX chip roadmap for robotic hands and drones at SEMICON Taiwan 2026. The series supports control of up to 32 motors, while a planned drone chip will combine flight control and mission computing. Read more
aiMotive launches data recording hardware for autonomous driving
aiMotive launches the aiMotive Rig and Rooftop Box for collecting ground truth data in ADAS and autonomous driving development. The systems use NovAtel positioning technology, while the Rooftop Box adds cameras and LiDAR sensors for 360 degree data capture. Read more
Pudu Robotics plans European headquarters in Germany
Pudu Robotics plans to open a European headquarters in Germany, expanding its teams, partner network, warehouse capacity and multilingual support in more than 20 European countries. The company also presented its robot portfolio, including the European debut of PUDU D7, at IFA Berlin 2026. Read more
Luck Stone expands Caterpillar autonomous hauling to two Virginia quarries
Luck Stone and Caterpillar will deploy autonomous hauling systems at the Boscobel and Bealeton quarries in Virginia, using two fleets of Cat 775 trucks. The expansion follows autonomous operations at Bull Run Quarry, where the trucks have moved more than 3.5 million tons since November 2024. Read more
Telit Cinterion to Demonstrate AI Fault Recovery at IMTS 2026
Telit Cinterion will demonstrate its deviceWISE platform at IMTS 2026 in Chicago, including AI based fault detection and recovery on simulated production lines. The exhibits will also cover visual intelligence, digital twins, robotic sorting and automated assembly. Read more
Canada Nickel selects Komatsu and SMS Equipment for C$1.5 billion fleet
Canada Nickel selects Komatsu and SMS Equipment to supply more than 300 mining machines for its Crawford Nickel Project in Ontario. The C$1.5 billion fleet will incorporate automation and electrification technologies, with final agreements and financing expected by early 2027. Read more
Voxel appoints leaders for revenue, AI and technology
Voxel appoints Hal Mady as Chief Revenue Officer, Krishna Gopalakrishnan as Vice President of Perception and AI, and Asaf Elani as Field Chief Technology Officer. The hires support growth of its camera based AI platform for identifying workplace risks across warehousing, manufacturing, distribution and insurance. Read more
HL Klemove and Lenovo partner on vehicle AI computing
HL Klemove and Lenovo partner to develop high performance AI computing systems for vehicles. HL Klemove will lead automaker sales and manufacturing, while Lenovo provides autonomous driving controller design expertise. Read more
DXC Technology and LOXO partner on autonomous logistics vehicles
DXC Technology and Swiss autonomous vehicle company LOXO partner to deploy Level 4 driverless light commercial vehicles on defined logistics routes. The companies plan to combine LOXO's driving platform with DXC Engineering's AI, data and systems integration services for expansion across Europe and other regions. Read more
Maven Robotics exits stealth with $100 million in funding
Maven Robotics, a Santa Clara startup, develops warehouse robots for mixed palletizing that can travel up to 10 miles per hour and lift 30 kilograms. The company raised $100 million and plans to build 250 third generation robots. Read more
Mecka AI nears $500 million valuation in Sequoia-led round
Mecka AI is reportedly nearing a funding round led by Sequoia Capital that could value the robotics data startup at about $500 million. The company collects human motion data through body sensors and smartphones to train humanoid robots and other robotics systems. Read more
MW unveils robot equipped homes and receives GENIAC backing
MW, a Japanese startup, plans to sell a Tokyo home with ceiling mounted robotic arms by 2028. The company says the arms can fold laundry and carry groceries, while its household robot foundation model has been selected for Japan's GENIAC national AI project. Read more
Nassco review finds 32% plan robotic floor equipment adoption in 2026
A Contracting Profits and BSCAI study finds that 32% of building service contractors plan to adopt robotic floor equipment within 12 months. The research also reports growing expectations for automation demand alongside continued labor and cost pressures. Read more
Havoc and CSBC partner on autonomous vessels for Taiwan
Havoc and CSBC Corporation, Taiwan will pursue licensed co production of autonomous surface vessels for Taiwan's maritime security. The vessels will be built and supported in Taiwan, combining Havoc's autonomy software with CSBC's shipbuilding capabilities. Read more

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