Hai Robotics raises $200M for autonomous case handling robots

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Chinese startup Hai Robotics has raised $200 million through two continuous funding rounds. The company said the funding will be used to continue to improve and scale its autonomous case handling robotics (ACR) system.

The Series C round was led by 5Y Capital with participation from Sequoia Capital China, Source Code Capital, VMS, Walden International and Scheme Capital. The Series D round funding 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, Hai Robotics announced B+ round funding of $15 million.

The company launched its first ACR system, called Haipick, in 2015. The robots can pick and place totes or cartons on storage shelves up to 5-7 meters high using a telescopic lift. They carry up to 8 loads to continuously feed goods-to-person picking stations. The robots use QR code navigation to move throughout their environment. The system almost seems like a poor man’s ASRS system.

Haipick robots can carry cartons as well as individual totes and bring multiple cases to pickers or conveyors in one movement. Hai Robotics said it has been running over 200 projects around the globe with more than 2,000 ACR robots deployed. It has paired up with dozens of global logistics and supply chain leaders, including LG CNS, MHS, MUJIN, BPS, Savoye, to name only a few. Hai said its robots are used in a variety of industries, including 3PL, e-commerce, apparel, retail, electronics, manufacturing, pharmaceutical and more.

“Our major future orientation will center on expanding the overseas market and localize our service,” said Richie Chen, the company’s co-founder and CEO.

Booktopia, Australia’s largest online bookstore, recently incorporated Hai Robotics‘ case-to-person piece picking method in a 14,000-square-meter distribution center. The solution enables the retailer to ship up to 60,000 books across 145,000 different titles per day, Hai claimed.

Hai Robotics recently partnered with France-based global logistics solutions engineering company Savoye. Hai said the deal will help it reach a broader community in the supply chain in Europe and beyond. In May 2021, Hai Robotics received the European CE Mark for its ACR Series.

“The case-handling robot is riding on the market trend that shifts towards smaller workflows, such as from pallet-picking to totes-picking,” said Guo Shanshan, a partner of Sequoia Capital China. “We’re very pleased to see the company’s fast growth with good innovation.”

Founded in 2016 with headquarters in Shenzhen, China, Hai Robotics has set up five subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, the U.S. and the Netherlands, serving customers from more than 30 countries and regions. It now has over 1,000 staff, more than 50% of which are engineers. Hai said it has acquired more than 400 global patents for core intellectual properties involving positioning, robot control and warehouse management.