Last Mile Robotics Startup Nubility — which makes autonomous delivery robots that operate without LIDAR — says it plans to grow from 50 currently in circulation to 400 by the end of this year. The goal is part of an ambitious plan the Seoul-based startup has laid out to boost its business after pivoting more than five times since its inception six years ago, but most recently he completed a $26 million Series A. Plans also include launching a new security robot alongside a delivery-only model.
Befitting a startup now focused on mobility, Neubility is a big step up from its original product, a haptic glove device for video games. Neubility CEO Sangmin Lee told TechCrunch that since late 2019, the company has focused on developing hardware and software for its latest effort, a delivery robot.
Neubility operates in a crowded industry that includes competitors such as Starship Technologies, Coco, Cartken and Kiwibot in the self-driving delivery robot space, and Knightscope, which develops security robots. According to Lee, the startup’s differentiators, from its robot hardware and software platform to core technologies such as simultaneous visual localization and mapping (V-SLAM) and sensor fusion, are cost-effective, We build in-house developed products that require less maintenance. .
“many [autonomous robots companies] We don’t develop our own hardware, but the essence of autonomous driving is to develop our own hardware,” Lee said.
Also, instead of using expensive riders, Neubie uses V-SLAM. This allows autonomous mobile robots to perceive their surroundings and acquire visual data from the physical world. Then build a 3D map of her generated by the robot and localize the robot in that map.
Neubility revealed a second version of its autonomous delivery robot known as Neubie 1.5R at CES 2023 earlier this year. The company claims it has a manufacturing scale of producing over 100 He Newbie 1.5R delivery robots each month. Alongside the robots, it also offers an API kit for robot monitoring and control solutions called “Neubie-GO”, sold under the “RaaS” (Robotics as a Service) model.
Neubility is also extending its robotic offerings beyond autonomous last-mile delivery and moving into security. Earlier this month, Neubility announced that it would jointly develop an AI-powered “cop robot” with South Korean telecom company SK Telecom and SK Shieldus, a platform that provides central surveillance, cybersecurity consulting and dispatch services. Neubility plans to incorporate his AI-powered cameras from SK Telecom and security technology from SK Shieldus into hardware, and plans to launch them later this year.
The company also recently raised an additional $2.6 million (3 billion won) from Samsung Venture Investment for its second Series A closing. According to a source familiar with the situation, the extension brings the total funding of the startup and Series A to about $26.1 million (30 billion won), while Nubility’s valuation is about $76.9 million (100 billion won). increase. The company declined to comment on the valuation.
The new funding will allow Neubility to commercialize additional robots, evolve its RaaS platform, and hire more staff in its R&D team. The company has about 100 employees, 70% of whom are dedicated to his R&D.
Neubility has already partnered with a series of large companies, some of which are strategic investors in startups. Among them are his two largest telecom carriers in South Korea, SK Telecom and KT. Samsung Welstory, the food distribution division of Samsung. And 42dot, Hyundai Motor’s autonomous driving technology division.
Other backers include IMM Investment, Korean retailers Shinsegae and Lotte, Kakao Investment and KB Investment.
It’s also working with 7-Eleven to help the convenience store chain launch a food delivery service, which it plans to launch in June. Users can order food and small items via his Neubility and 7-Eleven apps. Neubie helps deliver ordered goods in limited towns in some cities such as Seoul and Incheon, South Korea. Most of its customers are B2B. The company hopes the 7-Eleven deal will allow it to sign more of his B2C and retail customers in the future.
Neubility has launched several pilot projects in the past 12 months to test autonomous delivery robots at golf courses and campgrounds. (The startup currently operates about 50 robots at five golf courses and campgrounds to deliver food, drinks, and small items.)
Image credit: Nubility
These construction robots believe the growth of the e-commerce market will also drive demand for their technology. According to a recent report, the market for delivery robots will grow from just $400 million in 2021 to $1.8 billion by 2028.
