Delivery, drones and DHL
Locus (not to be confused with this Locus) is one of those names that's been popping up a lot in the news - and this roundup - over the past year. Last time we spoke to the Massachusetts company, it was around a sizable raise - $150 million to be nearly precise. That effectively valued the company as a unicorn.
Core to the company's successes are its partnerships (as is the case with any robotics fulfillment company). DHL has been a big (or the biggest) name in the mix since 2017. Amid pandemic lockdowns, the logistic giant signed up for 1,000 robots last year and, as of yesterday, is doubling that number.
Image Credits: Locus Robotics
DHL is really committing to robotics here. At last count, it said it had deployed around 200,000 across the U.S. alone, which puts its right around the same number as Amazon (which admittedly, hasn't updated that figure lately). Of course, the big difference there is that Amazon is primarily pulling from in-house systems - perhaps Locus is a prime acquisition target?
The robotics company's CEO shot down that suggestion when I spoke to him earlier this year, stating, We have no interest in being acquired. We think we can build the most and greatest value by operating independently. There are investors that want to invest in helping everyone that's not named Amazon' compete."
When it comes to companies with deep pockets, though, I never say never.
Image Credits: Realtime Robotics (opens in a new window)
Also out this morning, is a good size round from Realtime Robotics. The Boston-based company is one of a number of startups looking to streamline the process of installing and deploying industrial robotics. The $31.4 million Series A includes participation from (deep breath) HAHN Automation, SAIC Capital Management, Soundproof Ventures , Heroic Ventures, SPARX Asset Management, Omron Ventures, Toyota AI Ventures, Scrum Ventures and Duke Angels.
Image Credits: E-Nano
There's no such thing as a small raise, only a small...I'm not sure. Honestly, I didn't really thing this one all the way through before I started typing. Anyway, here's an early-stage, pre-seed from a London based startup called E-Nano. The company has developed a modular robotics system for monitoring sports turf.
Per a press release on the 100,000 ($141,000) raise, These robots will eventually be able to assess agricultural land and contribute to landowners growing more sustainably. The team aims to implement 5G connectivity into their robots and platform, using this raise to deliver more immediate, real-time data with high throughput."
Some good news for DJI comes courtesy of The Hill, which reports that the Pentagon has effectively cleared the drone giant in an audit. DJI was one of the names caught up in all of the flagging of Chinese companies that's occurred over the past couple of years (read: during the Trump administration), which has severely kneecapped brands like Huawei and ZTE. DJI was never banned for sale outright in the States, but this is still a pretty massive relief for its ability to operate in such a large market.
The filing notes that it found no malicious code or intent" from the company, going so far as recommend[ing] use by government entities and forces working with US services." Government use is a nice bonus there.
The company took a victory lap in a comment provided to TechCrunch, noting, This U.S. government report is the strongest confirmation to date of what we, and independent security validations, have been saying for years - DJI drones are safe and secure for government and enterprise operations."
Starship delivery robots at UCLA campus on January 15th, 2021. Image Credits: Starship/Copyright Don Liebig/ASUCLA
Starship Technologies, meanwhile, snagged a high-profile name to lead the delivery robotics firm. Former Alphabet Loon CEO Alastair Westgarth will be taking the same title at his new company.
Former head of Alphabet's Loon joins Starship Technologies as new CEO
Incidentally, Starship is one of a trio of companies I'll be speaking with during my delivery robotics panel (also Nuro and Gatik) at the upcoming TC Sessions: Mobility. We also just announced my second panel, which will be exploring a pretty vibrant category in automotive.
Image Credits: Ford/Agility Robotics
Max Bajracharya of TRI (Toyota), Mario Santillo of Ford and Ernestine Fu of Hyundai Motor Group will be discussing their respective employers' approach to robotics beyond manufacturing and autonomy. They're all doing really interesting stuff, and Hyundai, of course, is getting ready to close its acquisition of Boston Dynamics.
Should be fun. Register here.
Starship Technologies CEO/CTO Ahti Heinla joins TC Sessions: Mobility 2021