The OSU spinout plans to scale up the distribution of its robotics system, which has human-like legs to navigate complex environments.
Agility Robotics, a US-based producer of legged robots spun out of Oregon State University, closed a $20m round yesterday backed by Industrial Technology Investment Corporation, the VC arm of nonprofit R&D body Industrial Technology Research Institute.
The round was co-led by Playground Global and Data Collective and also featured TDK Ventures and Sony Innovation Fund, corporate venturing units for electronic product makers TDK and Sony respectively, as well as MFV Partners and Safar Partners.
Founded in 2015, Agility Robotics has launched a bi-pedal robot called Digit that has lidar sensors and a human-like gait to facilitate movement up stairs, through hallways and across uneven surfaces.
Agility has initially geared Digit toward manual labour in warehouses and the robot still needs human training before it can learn to navigate unfamiliar environments.
In addition to warehouses, Digit could also be capable of last-mile logistics such as bringing consumer goods to the customer’s doorstep from the mail van.
The cash will enable it to scale up Digit’s distribution with a view to securing orders from clients including logistics providers and e-commerce retailers.
Agility previously attracted $8m of series A capital in an early 2018 round led by Playground Global with contributions from Sony Innovation Fund and Coal Hill Ventures’ Robotics Hub. The funding followed $100,000 from Williamette Angels Conference in 2016.
Matt Ocko, co-managing partner and co-founder at DCVC, has joined the board of directors.
TDK Ventures expects to add strategic value to Agility’s technology by leveraging its parent group’s proficiency in sensors, batteries and power management.
Damon Shelton, co-founder and chief executive of Agility Robotics, said: “It has never been clearer that our society’s demand for manual labour exceeds our ability to generate it safely, and it is far past time we have a solution which can work alongside humans to raise the bar on quality of life and free up human time.”
– Feature image courtesy of Agility Robotics