Robotics & Automation News

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Robotic and Automation News Review: OnRobot updates software, drones fly through deep mines, Toyota partners with Ridecell, and much more…

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Robotic and Automation News Review Monday 24 August 2020

This is a new, weekly column which rounds up all the most interesting news from the robotics and automation industry in the past seven days, in brief form.

Usually, we try to publish the review on Fridays, but because of technical problems last week, it has been delayed until today. Apologies for that.

This Robotics and Automation News Review is also available to view on our YouTube channel. (See video below.)

Please support our website by subscribing to our YouTube channel, by sharing the stories we publish on social media, and by purchasing premium subscriptions to RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com, as well as through corporate sponsorships and advertising.

[Read more…] about Robotic and Automation News Review: OnRobot updates software, drones fly through deep mines, Toyota partners with Ridecell, and much more…

New AppHarvest funding round brings total to $150 million

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Indoor farming startup AppHarvest has raised $28 million in its latest funding round, bringing the total to $150 million.

As Bloomberg reports, AppHarvest is building “the world’s largest greenhouse” in Morehead, Kentucky in the US.

AppHarvest uses similar indoor farming techniques to those used by so-called “vertical farming” companies in that it can irrigate its crops using 90 percent less water than traditional farming techniques. [Read more…] about New AppHarvest funding round brings total to $150 million

Electric air taxi startup Lilium raises another $35 million to take total investment to $375 million

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Lilium, the Munich-based aviation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft for regional air mobility, has raised another $35 million. 

The company says investment management partnership, Baillie Gifford, the new investor, is known for its track record of investing in high-impact technology companies such as Amazon, Tesla, Airbnb, Spotify and SpaceX.

Baillie Gifford has invested $35m in Lilium, extending the startup’s current funding round to more than $275 million, and total investment to date to more than $375 million. [Read more…] about Electric air taxi startup Lilium raises another $35 million to take total investment to $375 million

Velo3D raises $28 million to expand additive manufacturing business

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Velo3D has raised $28 million in a Series D funding round, bringing total funding to $138 million.

New investors Piva and TNSC joined the round, along with existing investors Bessemer Investment Partners, Playground, and Khosla Ventures.

Benny Buller, founder and CEO of Velo3D, says: “With the Velo3D integrated solution of Flow advanced pre-print software, Sapphire printer, and Assure quality management software, companies can finally break free of the constraints of existing metal additive manufacturing processes. [Read more…] about Velo3D raises $28 million to expand additive manufacturing business

Fabric raises $110 million in new investment round backed by Kraft Heinz

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On-demand fulfillment services startup Fabric has raised an additional investment to its Series B round from Evolv Ventures, the investment arm of Kraft Heinz, one of the largest global food and beverage companies in the world.

Led by a team of food, startup, and venture capital veterans, Evolv Ventures is focused on strategic investments in emerging technologies across the food value chain.

Their undisclosed additional investment to the $110 million-dollar round is a resounding vote of confidence from a leading food tech investor and the iconic food company. [Read more…] about Fabric raises $110 million in new investment round backed by Kraft Heinz

Fanuc invests in Soft Robotics as startup raises $23 million in oversubscribed funding round

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Soft Robotics has raised $23 million in an oversubscribed Series B funding round.

The round was co-led by Calibrate Ventures and Material Impact and includes additional existing investors Honeywell, Hyperplane, Scale, Tekfen Ventures, and Yamaha.

With this round Soft Robotics also adds Fanuc, the world’s largest industrial robot manufacturer, as a new investor. [Read more…] about Fanuc invests in Soft Robotics as startup raises $23 million in oversubscribed funding round

Naïo Technologies raises €14 million for farm robot business

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Startup company Naïo Technologies has raised €14 million in a new funding round to develop and expand its farming robots business.

After a first round of €3 million in 2015, the French start-up Naïo Technologies specialized in agricultural robots, announces the closing of a €14 million funding round led by Bpifrance.

Impact investor Pymwymic and Codema and its historical shareholders, Demeter and Capagro, flanked Bpifrance in this investment round. [Read more…] about Naïo Technologies raises €14 million for farm robot business

May Mobility raises $50 million in funding round led by Toyota

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May Mobility, an autonomous transportation-as-a-service provider, has closed a $50 million Series B funding round led by Toyota.

There was also participation from Sparx Group, alongside return investors Millennium Technology Value Partners, Cyrus Capital Partners, BMW iVentures, and Toyota AI Ventures.

The company says the round will help fund strategic hires across the engineering and operations functions, and expansion of the vehicle fleet to meet growing demand. [Read more…] about May Mobility raises $50 million in funding round led by Toyota

Gideon Brothers raises €2.65 million in new funding and partners with DB Schenker

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Leading global logistics provider DB Schenker has introduced Gideon Brothers autonomous logistics robots into service at its Leipzig facility.  

Gideon Brothers, an AI and robotics company, developed breakthrough autonomy technology that combines deep learning and advanced vision-based perception.

The technology offers a flexible solution for automating logistics operations in existing facilities, allowing productivity gains without the need to modify facilities. [Read more…] about Gideon Brothers raises €2.65 million in new funding and partners with DB Schenker

HRG launches new ‘automated guided vehicle’

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HRG has launched what it describes as an “automated guided vehicle”, although it appears to have the technology that is also found in autonomous mobile robots, which are slightly different.

AGVs are older technology and are limited in their ability to navigate their way round a facility – usually, magnetic strips are fixed to the floor to guide them.

HRG says its AGV integrates “simultaneous localization and mapping”, or SLAM, the navigation technology that gives AMRs their autonomy. [Read more…] about HRG launches new ‘automated guided vehicle’

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