Pudu Robotics Completes Series C2 Financing, with Nearly $155M in Total Raise from C1 and C2

Shenzhen, China, Sept. 23, 2021 – On September 14, global technology company Pudu Robotics announced the completion of its C2-series financing, a joint investment led by Meituan, Greater Bay Area Homeland Development Fund, Shenzhen Investment Holdings and Sequoia Capital China, Taihecap as the independent financial adviser. The funding was secured within only four months after the C1 series of $78 million raised in May, the combination of C1 and C2 has raised nearly $155 million in total. The C2 round funds will be utilized for cutting-edge R&D development, new product development, new site launches, and expansion of the company’s global network.

With an aging population and the pandemic driving the need for contactless delivery, the robotics market has seen a rapid surge in demand particularly in the commercial service robot segment. As a world-leading provider of service robots, Pudu Robotics has developed an intimate understanding of user needs and products catering to an extensive range of scenarios. These include the smart delivery robot PuduBot, premium delivery robot BellaBot, delivery robot with paging and notification features HolaBot, disinfection robot Puductor 2, delivery and reception robot KettyBot, and building delivery robot FlashBot. Launched this year, KettyBot is a brand-new offering that combines multiple features such as Ad display, customer interaction, greeting and ushering, and AI voice interaction. Distinct from KettyBot, FlashBot is the new-generation “building delivery expert”, the world’s first building delivery solution designed for hotels and offices, with the ability to ride in an elevator with human passengers.

Since its founding, Pudu Robotics has gone “from Zero to One” in merely five years and remained a leader in the commercial service robotics industry. The company’s achievements were built upon its in-depth R&D on cutting-edge robotics technology, expansion of robotics use scenarios, and constant improvement of its products’ service quality. Pudu Robotics’ dedicated R&D team has achieved innovations and breakthroughs in its products’ core technology, having built a wide technical moat covering areas like positioning and navigation, movement control, multi-machine scheduling, and obstacle avoidance. This has led to over 600 patent applications, more than 60% of which are for invention patents. The robots are widely applied in restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, government offices, airports, high-speed train stations, and hospitals. The company has achieved total cumulative sales of several tens of thousands of units, with footprints covering more than 60 countries and regions worldwide.

The post-pandemic period has seen demand skyrocket for contactless service and disinfection, resulting in the rapid expansion of the robotics market and unprecedented opportunities. Whether at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic or in the current new norm of outbreak prevention, Pudu Robotics has provided crucial support in contactless delivery especially at restaurants and hospitals. The Puductor 2 is used by various organizations such as Square Cabin Hospitals in Thailand, and hospital chains in Russia, with its intelligent disinfecting functions proven valuable in disease control efforts and the safeguarding of public health.

The C2 round funding will be a tremendous catalyst for the company’s growth as it enters a new phase in its development. Felix Zhang, company founder said: “At Pudu Robotics, we are committed to the ‘Spirit of Invention’ on a mission to use robots to improve the efficiency of human production and living. With the most advanced technology and powerful drive for innovation, we will continue to develop practical robotics solutions that lead smart living into people’s lives.” Meanwhile, he added “The company’s impressive growth can in large part be attributed to the quality of its personnel; we always welcome talents to join Pudu family and become a true robotics visionary! ”