• Ati Motors raises $20M in Series B funding to expand globally, focusing on the U.S., India, and Southeast Asia amid growing demand for robotics.
  • The Bengaluru-based AMR startup has deployed robots in factories and warehouses for clients like Airbus, Hyundai, and Samsung, with 80% in the auto sector.

Ati Motors, a Bengaluru-based autonomous mobile robot (AMR) startup, has raised $20 million in a Series B funding round to accelerate its global expansion, particularly in the U.S., India, and Southeast Asia.

The funding was co-led by Walden Catalyst Ventures and NGP Capital, with participation from existing investors True Ventures, Exfinity Venture Partners, Athera Venture Partners, and Blume Ventures.

The investment comes as countries seek to reduce reliance on China by bolstering domestic manufacturing capabilities. India, ranked as the world’s seventh-largest robotics market, is experiencing rapid growth in the sector.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, industrial robotics installations in India rose by 59% year-over-year in 2023, reaching 8,500 units.

Ati Motors has developed seven autonomous robots, designed for tasks such as moving trolleys, bins, and pallets in warehouses and factories. These robots feature 3D lidar sensors for spatial awareness, allowing them to operate in challenging environments with uneven floors, gradients, and weather disruptions.

The company also designs both the hardware and software for its robots in-house, including sensor-fusion algorithms, relying on Nvidia’s Jetson platform for edge computing.

“Our competitor is always the status quo, not really another robot,” said Saurabh Chandra, founder and CEO of Ati Motors. “Typically, we are displacing manual operation or somebody driving a vehicle or often somebody pushing it by hand.”

Ati Motors offers its AMRs under a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model, allowing customers to lease systems or purchase them outright. The company claims to have deployed hundreds of its Sherpa robots across 40 manufacturers, including prominent names like Airbus, Hyundai, Samsung, and TVS Motor. With 80% of its customer base in the automotive sector, the U.S. remains its largest revenue generator. As a result, Ati Motors plans to establish a stronger presence in Detroit.

The funding will further support the company's growth and contribute to India’s ambitions to position itself as a global robotics leader by 2030.

Edited by Harshajit Sarmah