Khameleon lands preseed, Scythe acquired, Sunday joins unicorns, Rhoda, Mind Robotics and Atom out of stealth, LG invests in Dexmate
Does Bank of America have a clue? Plus ROSCon CFPs and GTC afterparties
Bank of America apparently just released a report predicting three billion humanoid units in operation globally by 2060, a number which could exceed the number of passenger cars on a per-capita basis, and it’s got the internet in a tizzy. Quick history lesson. It’s really taken more than one hundred years for the number of passenger cars to exceed two billion - if we start counting from Henry Ford in 2008, rather than from earlier commercialization in the 1880s onwards. Technology waves are both larger and slower than we appreciate.
Another quick history lesson. This fire was fanned by a Fortune article yesterday but the actual BOA report quoted came out in early March 2025 and already there are obvious errors in the actual rate of cost decline, rate of production of robots. And although the rate of improvement in capabilities is quite impressive, that doesn’t mean that robots are anywhere near suitable for tending the elderly and aging population. Or children.
The question Bank of America buries in the back of the report is exactly what these three billion humanoid units will be doing and who will be affording them. Perhaps we’ll see the top 20% with fleets of humanoid servants, managed by humans, and the rest of us still using the ordinary dishwashers and robovacuums.
Why Do humanoid Robots Still Struggle With the Small Stuff?
by John Pavlus in Quanta Magazine
Opportunity to join Allison Okamura’s online HAPTICS class closes tomorrow
🖐 For the first time this spring, I am offering my complete hands-on HAPTICS class at Stanford University to remote students via Stanford Online https://lnkd.in/gNJRywpb. Why I am doing this? Haptic (touch) technology is becoming increasingly important to enhance wearables, virtual worlds, augmented reality, and teleoperated robots. There is a lot of interest in haptics right now, but most engineers have no formal training in the field. And you have to feel it to believe it!
🎓 We are opening up the regular Stanford class to up to 25 remote students, who will join 50+ in-person Stanford students to learn about human touch, haptic device design and control, and how to best apply them. Everyone will receive a physical haptic kit (https://lnkd.in/gqsaQeQs) to perform hands-on haptics labs, examine human touch perception, and develop cutting-edge projects. We expect students to have an engineering or computer science background with some experience in dynamic systems, controls, and programming. The class is part of Stanford Online’s ROBOTICS CERTIFICATE. Registration closes on March 15, but we might fill up before then!
Want to host an event or reach the robotics community?
Many companies are reaching out about hosting events, outreach or hiring and we have a great community network, of people looking for work, of investors interested in deal flow and of technologists interested in learning about the latest advances.
Would you be interested in having a company table at next Bots, Bevs & Devs or at the Robotics Career Fair on March 24? Or something customized specifically for your goals? Reach out here!
“Doing cartwheels does not create value in manufacturing,” Scaringe told The Wall Street Journal.
Rivian CEO’s AI-Powered Robotics Startup Raises $500 Million. Mind Robotics is building factory robots, joining up with the electric-vehicle maker on training and testing.
The financing, announced Wednesday, follows a $115 million seed round that was led by Eclipse in late 2025, bringing Mind Robotics’ total fundraising to $615 million in the few months since its founding. This round brings the startup’s valuation to around $2 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news. Read more (without paywall) at TechCrunch
Rhoda AI Exits Stealth with $450 Million Series A to Bring Robots Out of the Lab and Into the Real World
“We believe the next era of robotics requires models that understand how the world moves — not just what it looks like or how it’s described in language,” said Jagdeep Singh, cofounder and CEO of Rhoda. “By learning from internet-scale video and operating in closed loop, our systems are designed to adapt to real-world variability in ways conventional approaches struggle to achieve. The goal is simple: robots that work in the real world, not just controlled lab settings.” Read more at Business Wire
Uber co-founder Kalanick launches Atoms in specialized robotics push
“Gainfully employed robots are the machines best suited for the job at hand, that can make a living doing it,” Kalanick said in a statement.
Interest has been rising in specialized robots as they could offer a clear path to profitability, given the stress on automation across industries such as transport and waste management.
General-purpose humanoid robotics faces challenges such as how to teach machines to navigate unpredictable environments and develop sophisticated reasoning abilities.
Kalanick said Atoms will be organized into Atoms Food, providing infrastructure for the food industry, Atoms Mining, focusing on increasing mine productivity, and Atoms Transport, which he described as a “wheelbase for robots.” Read more at Reuters or TechCrunch
Khameleon, a Silicon Valley-based startup specializing in hotel cleaning humanoid robots, announced on March 10 that it has secured pre-seed investment. This round included participation from Korean investors Base Ventures, Naver D2SF, Mashup Ventures, The Ventures, Schmidt, as well as institutional investors from the United States and the United Kingdom. Read more at Asia Business Daily
Korean gaming giant Krafton opens Ludo Robotics, an artificial intelligence and robotics company in SF Bay Area to pursue research in robotics and physical AI.
CEO Kim Chang-han has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ludo Robotics and Krafton’s Chief AI Officer Lee Kang-wook will serve as Chief Technology Officer of Ludo Robotics. Lee also leads Ludo Robotics Korea, the Korean entity established earlier this year.
Industry reports describe the new unit as a research-focused effort designed to explore how AI technologies developed in gaming environments can be applied to robotics systems. Read more at Korea Tech Desk
Sunday, focusing on humanoid robots designed specifically for household tasks and home automation, reaches $1.15 billion valuation with backing from Coatue, Tiger Global, Benchmark, and Bain Capital
Sunday now faces the brutal challenge every hardware startup eventually confronts: building something people actually want at a price they’ll pay, then manufacturing it at scale without burning through cash. The next 18 months will reveal whether this unicorn can deliver on the promise, or whether consumer robotics needs a few more years in the lab. Read more at the tech buzz
LG CNS invests in Dexmate’s wheel-based humanoids to speed industrial automation. This will add to LG’s bipedal and quadrupedal robot lineup. LG CNS is also developing its own platform for robot operation and training. Last year it invested in Skild AI and together they are creating an industry taileroed Robot Foundation Model. Read more at Chosun Biz
Co-Founder Jack Morrison on Scythe’s acquisition by ASI
Hello Friends of Scythe!
Today we’re announcing an exciting new chapter for Scythe: we are joining ASI, the 25-years-young vehicle autonomy provider in neighboring Utah! ASI has been growing rapidly, hiring hundreds of new employees and opening three new offices in the last year. Scythe’s team, technology, and the M.52 business line will be a strong addition to the diversified autonomy lines that ASI is scaling after successfully divesting their mining business about a year ago.
I returned to Scythe last year to guide the company through this acquisition after the Board decided this was the future of the company, and am so happy that we found a vision-and-values-aligned new home for the business, team, and technologies we’ve built over the last 8 years.
I want to share a sincere thank you from me, Davis, and the entire current Scythe team. Each one of you played a role in our journey, contributing wisdom, hard work, or friendship and support along the way and helping Scythe to make great progress in its mission helping humanity take better care of the planet.
I’d love to ask one more thing of you all: help spread our news on social media with a like, a retweet, or a repost with an image of your favorite Scythe memory. And stay in touch – I’d love to hear the amazing things this group is up to today!
Scythe Blog: https://scytherobotics.com/blog-posts/scythe-acquired-by-asi
Twitter:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1G6MUij4GY/
Press Release: https://www.prweb.com/releases/asis-scythe-acquisition-amplifies-autonomous-off-road-vehicle-leadership-302711375.html
The call for proposals for Global ROSCon 2026 in Toronto is out.
More information here! Key dates you need to be aware of:
March 22, 2026 (UTC) Diversity scholarship applications are due! This is the only scholarship we offer, so plan accordingly
April 5, 2026 (UTC) Workshops proposals are due.
April 26, 2026 (UTC) Presentation proposals are due.
NEW TOOLKIT RELEASED FOR AI FOR INDUSTRY CHALLENGE, $180K IN PRIZES
Registrations remain open until April 17th for the AI for Industry Challenge, with $180K in prizes.
With an evaluation committee featuring industry leaders from Foxconn, Google DeepMind, Intrinsic, NVIDIA Robotics, Open Robotics, and Universal Robots ready to review your AI models, Intrinsic and Open Robotics released a new toolkit with essential assets for building your cable-insertion model.
If you’re signed up, start exploring this repository for a blueprint to develop, test, and deploy physical AI in real-world manufacturing environments. And if you’re excited by the possibilities, sign up today!
Silicon Valley Robotics Investor/Startup Database
Are you a startup fundraising atm? Fill out our “For Investors Eyes Only” sheet.
These investors write checks anywhere from angel and seed stage to $5-50 million.
Feedback from the startups - high quality inbound interest from investors.
Feedback from the investors - incredible depth and range of robotics startups.
If you’re an accredited investor and haven’t already signed up for the spreadsheet - Sign up here for great robotics deal flow!
Robotics News
OpenAI robotics leader resigns over concerns about Pentagon AI deal. Read more at NPR
The Autonomous Battlefield: And Why the U.S. Military Isn’t Ready for It. By David Petraeus and Isaac C. Flanagan. Read more at Foreign Affairs
Anduril, the autonomous weapons maker, doubles the size of its space unit. Read more at ArsTechnica
Autonomous Weapon Systems and International humanitarian Law: Selected Issues. Read more at the International Committee of the Red Cross
ABB Robotics Partners with NVIDIA to Deliver Industrial-Grade Physical AI at Scale. Read more at ABB.com
US robotics needs more reforms and incentives, Standard Bots CEO says. Read more at Manufacturing Dive
Autonomous firefighting robot can drive straight into a 1,000 degree blaze. Read more at Popular Science
Raquel Urtasun on Level-4 Autonomous Trucks > How her startup, Waabi, is using simulation to train its AI. Read more at IEEE Spectrum
Applied EV Presses Ahead with Autonomous Electric Vehicles in Australia. Read more at CleanTechnica
Phoenix has lived with Waymos longer than any U.S. city. Here’s what its mayor learned. Read more at FastCompany
Nvidia’s head of autonomous driving opens up about his plan to beat Waymo and Tesla. Read more at The Verge
Nuro is testing its autonomous vehicle tech on Tokyo’s streets. Read more at TechCrunch
Uber seen as well-positioned in autonomous vehicles following Zoox partnership. Read more at Finance Yahoo
Here are the five biggest takeaways from Lucid Motors bet on autonomy. Read more at Business Insider
Robot cooks are here. What will it mean for restaurants? Read more at NPR’s Planet Money
Japan and Taiwan turn to Nvidia powered robots to tackle aging population with Nurabot and AIREC. Read more at Seoul Economic Daily
Send me your 2026 progresss, plans and posts for potential inclusion in Robots&Startups.
Robotics Events
ROS by the Bay - GTC edition - with SVR at Circuit Launch
March 18 from 6pm to 8.30pm
Nvidia GTC - San Jose - March 15-19 - use GTC26INCP for 25% discount
Bay Area Material Handling & Robotics Expo, Career Fair and Reception at Cavalla Industries in SF
March 24 from 5pm to 9pm
RSVP on Eventbrite (or Luma) to attend the event
RSVP on Eventbrite to reserve a demo or recruitment table or short talk spot
Bots, Bevs & Devs at SVCTE in San Jose
April 1 from 6pm to 8.30pm
Details still tbc but see them first on the SVR Luma Calendar
SVR Leaders Circle in SF
April 6 - by invitation only
If you are CEO, CTO, Founder, Chief Scientist or Senior Researcher in a robotics company this is our peer networking event for robotics leaders. Save the date!
IEEE Hard Tech Venture Summit and Robotics Manufacturing Workshop at SRI International - April 16-17 - use “Csvrobo” for $90 discount - plus early bird rates end on March 13
AMBayArea Summit 2026 (from the Association of Manufacturers Bay Area) - Chabot Space & Science Center - April 21
Keynote Speaker Andra Keay on Humanoids, Humans, and the Workforce
Revolution No One Is Talking About
More events:
Robotics Invest - Boston - May 26-27
ICRA 2026 - Vienna, Austria - Jun 01 - Jun 05
Automate
Deep Tech Week - SF - Jun 21 - Jun 25
Robot Fringe Festival - London - Jul 2
Robotics: Science and Systems - Sydney, Australia - Jul 13 - Jul 16
Open Sauce - San Francisco - Jul 17 - Jul 19
ROSCon Global - Toronto - Sep 22 - Sep 24
IROS 2026 - Pittsburgh - Sep 27 - Oct 1
IEEE Humanoids 2026 - Silicon Valley - Dec 6-9
The annual IEEE-RAS International Conference on Humanoid Robots is the internationally recognized prime event of the humanoid robotics community. The conference is sponsored by the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and coordinated by the Technical Committee on Humanoids.
Join the organizing team at Silicon Valley Robotics - bots&beer@svrobo.org
