Cartken, an autonomous delivery robot company, and Melco Mobility Solutions are expanding their strategic partnership through a new multi-million dollar agreement focused on industrial logistics.
Melco Mobility Solutions is part of the Mitsubishi Electric and a key distributor of their automotive equipment products and operator of mobility solutions.
As part of this collaboration, Melco Mobility Solutions has placed an order for nearly 100 AI-powered Cartken Hauler robots to be deployed across industrial facilities in Japan within this fiscal year.
This latest initiative builds on a longstanding collaboration between the companies. Since 2022, Mitsubishi Electric and Melco Mobility Solutions have served as Cartken’s distributor and operator in Japan, advancing their strategic initiative to expand autonomous robotics as a solution to the country’s growing labor and logistics challenges.
Mitsubishi Electric has also been a strategic investor in Cartken, participating in the last funding round.
Together, the companies have deployed Cartken robots across a range of use cases—from food delivery in urban areas with Uber Eats, to grocery delivery with Rakuten, and onsite material and documents movement on corporate campuses and industrial sites.
Melco Mobility Solutions has also played a critical role in localizing Cartken’s technology and navigating regulatory approvals.
The “Cartken Courier” robot model (formerly known as Model C) became the first delivery robot in Japan authorized for autonomous driving on public roads at nighttime.
Additionally, building on Mitsubishi Electric’s long-standing leadership in elevator and building systems, the companies developed a solution for elevator-integrated delivery, enabling Cartken robots to operate autonomously across multiple floors.
Now, Melco Mobility Solutions is scaling its deployment of the Cartken Hauler—a larger, more rugged robot designed for interbuilding transport with a heavy-payload capacity of up to 660lbs (300 kg).
The robot can autonomously navigate ramps and uneven ground in all weather conditions and offers flexibility in cargo design, allowing customization to suit a wide range of industrial use cases.
Central to this expansion are Cartken’s proven AI-based navigation and fleet management platform, which ensure reliable and safe operations.
Mitsubishi Electric has also been a strategic investor in Cartken, participating in the last funding round.
With the expansion into industrial robotics, the partnership signals a new chapter for automation in Japan’s logistics and manufacturing sectors – setting the stage for broader adoption of autonomous systems to address the country’s pressing labor and logistics challenges.
Christian Bersch, CEO and co-founder of Cartken, says: “We’re proud to deepen our partnership with Melco Mobility Solutions, a Group Company of Mitsubishi Electric, and bring Cartken Haulers into industrial environments in Japan at scale.
“This order signals trust in Cartken’s technology, and the growing need for robust, safe, and flexible robotic automation solutions that can fill a critical gap in material movement between indoor, outdoor, and multi-level environments.”
Yasuo Aoki, president and CEO of Melco Mobility Solutions, says: “We are pleased to deepen our strategic partnership with Cartken.
“By working with Cartken and Mitsubishi Electric to advance the deployment of automated delivery robots, we hope to contribute to solving social issues in Japan’s industrial environment.”
