Robotics Raises: Allen Control Systems, Generalist AI, Shifters AI, Spirit AI, Standard Bots

We’re back with another round of startup fundraises for the week of 6/8. It's a big moment for megarounds, with four robotics startups raising $200 million, or more, as the robotics unicorn herd gets bigger. 

It wasn’t all nine-figure rounds, though. We’ve also got a startup building fleets of autonomous bots to operate in areas unsafe for humans exiting stealth. Let’s dive in. 

Allen Control Systems, $200 million, Series B 

Investors continue to swarm defense startups with those sweet, sweet government contract dollars. Allen Control Systems is no different. The Austin, Texas-based startup builds autonomous weapons stations, which can choose to aim and fire without direct command from a human operator, and has contracts with the U.S. Navy and Army. 

Allen Control Systems raised a $200 million Series B round led by Smash Capital with participation from existing investors including Craft Ventures, Rally Ventures and Inspired Capital, among others. The round valued the company at $2.2 billion and will be put toward manufacturing its Bullfrog autonomous weapons station. 

Generalist AI, $400 million, Series B 

Great hardware is just bolts and chips without great software running alongside it. Generalist AI is working toward a robotic brain built on embodied foundational models with a focus on dexterity — one of the biggest challenges robot companies need to overcome to make bots truly general purpose. 

Generalist AI raised $400 million in a Series B to work toward that goal. The round was led by Radical Ventures with participation from Union Square Ventures, Nvidia and Spark Capital, among others, and valued the unicorn at $2 billion. 

Shifters AI, $10.2 million, Seed

Shifters AI is building autonomous robotic fleets meant to work together in environments not suited for humans like hazardous zones, warfare or natural disasters. The Washington D.C.-based startup just exited stealth with a $10.2 million seed round led by Ace Capital Partners with participation from Arkin Capital, Corner Ventures and STEP World, among others. 

An investor recently told me that the most interesting robotics companies aren’t building machines meant to replace or enhance humans but rather bots that operate where humans just shouldn’t go in general. Shifters AI seems to fit that bill. 

Spirit AI, CN¥$1.5 billion, Series A+

The battle to build the best generalist robot brain is clearly on. Beijing-based Spirit AI is building full-stack foundational models to power robots trained on “dirty data” or information gathered from real-world sources. The company has an ambitious mission to empower 10% of the world to own their own robot within 10 years. 

Investors seem to like that idea. Spirit AI just raised its fourth funding round over the last three months. This time around, the company raised CN¥$1.5 billion ($221 million) in a Series A+ funding round from an undisclosed U.S. investor. 

Standard Bots, $200 million, Series C

Bringing robotics manufacturing stateside has been a growing conversation in the automation industry amid the bubbling technical race with China. Standard Bots is a leading startup in that pro-U.S.A mission and builds industrial droids and cobots in Glen Cove, New York. The company’s recent $200 million Series C round was led by General Catalyst and valued the company at $1 billion. 

Standard Bots told A3 that it is on track to deliver 10% of domestic robot deployment next year and plans to use this latest round of funding to scale up manufacturing and increase its production capabilities.