HAI ROBOTICS, a Chinese warehouse robotics startup using an autonomous case-handling robotics (ACR) system, announced that it has secured two new continuous rounds of funding, garnering around US$200 million in total. The money is to be invested in boosting its robot fleet with technological upgrades, expanding its global operation networks, optimizing its supply chain management and corporate structure as well as talent.
HAI ROBOTICS launched the world’s first ACR system, HAIPICK™ in 2015. The HAIPICK™ robots can pick and place totes or cartons on storage shelves up to 5 to 7 metres high and are able to carry up to 8 loads to continuously feed goods-to-person picking stations. The company was founded in 2016 and has a yearly turnout of 10,000 robots with an 18,000 sqm factory in Dongguan, China.
“Our major future orientation will centre on expanding the overseas market and localize our service”, said Richie Chen, the company’s co-founder and CEO. Speaking of the company’s future plans, Chen further stated that the company will continue to pursue technological innovation as the “primary driver for growth”, and “create value” for customers.
The HAIPICK™ robot has the ability to carry cartons as well as individual totes and to bring multiple cases to pickers or conveyors in one movement. The company says this can help realize warehouse automation in “just a week, increase storage density by 80-130%, and improve staffs’ work efficiency by 3-4 times”.
The HAIPICK™ system was first used for shoes and apparel projects in the wave of warehousing automation. So far, the company has been running over 200 projects around the globe with more than 2,000 ACR robots deployed, accounting for a “90% share in the ACR robot market”. It has worked with global logistics and supply chain leaders, including LG CNS, MHS, MUJIN, BPS, Savoye, amongst others.
Guo Shanshan, a partner of Sequoia Capital China, said that HAI ROBOTICS has made itself an exemplar in the logistics sector with its ACR system: “The case-handling robot is riding on the market trend that shifts towards smaller workflows, such as from pallet-picking to totes-picking. We’re very pleased to see the company’s fast growth with good innovation”.
The C round funding was led by 5Y Capital with participation from Sequoia Capital China, Source Code Capital, VMS, Walden International, and Scheme Capital. The D round funding, the third capital infusion for the company in 2021, was led by Capital Today with some existing investors, including Sequoia Capital China, 5Y Capital, Source Code Capital, Legend Star, and 01VC. Earlier in March, the company announced B+ round funding of US$15 million.
You can find more information about HAI Robotics and the $200m funding round on its website.
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