New figures from Crunchbase this week show investments in robotics once again the trend is positiveThe previous two years have presented a constant decline in the total number, after a record 2021 driven by pandemic-fueled job losses. As we enter the second half of the year, 2024 is on track to beat last year’s numbers.
In the first six months of the year, $4.2 billion was invested in this category, putting this year on track to surpass 2023’s 12-month total of $6.8 billion. That’s still well below 2021’s COVID peak of $17.7 billion, and even 2022’s $10.3 billion.
It does, however, signal a recovery from the double whammy of economic headwinds and post-pandemic reopenings, which brought the industry back down to earth.
The category of white-hot humanoids continued to grow. The figure showed the way with a massive $675 million Series B fundraising. This fundraising alone moved the needle a bit. The other notable humanoid investment came through 1X. The Norwegian company, which counts OpenAI among the first backers, grossed $100 million.
Medical robots had a good year, thanks to big rounds from MMI and Rono Surgical, but once again, labor replacement is the main driver, as spaces like warehouses and factories look to automate tasks they struggle to fill.
These demands aren’t going away anytime soon, while continued investment enthusiasm around all things AI is likely to further support the growth of robotics startups. Unfortunately, it may take another pandemic for the situation to reach 2021 levels.
