The funding highlights how service robotics is shifting from niche deployments to scaled commercial use across global markets
Updated
April 24, 2026 2:26 PM
An autonomous service robot with a cat face design standing inside a McDonalds restaurant. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
Pudu Robotics, a Shenzhen-based startup building robots for commercial environments, has raised nearly US$150 million in a new funding round, pushing its valuation past US$1.5 billion. The raise brings the company’s total funding to more than US$300 million.
The company focuses on service robotics across sectors such as delivery, cleaning and industrial logistics. Its systems are used in places like retail stores, warehouses and public venues where routine tasks can be automated. Over time, Pudu has expanded from single-purpose machines to a broader portfolio that combines hardware with AI-driven navigation and coordination.
The funding is expected to support several areas of growth. These include further development of its AI systems, expansion of its product range and continued international rollout. The company also plans to invest in manufacturing and supply chain capacity, suggesting a focus on scaling production alongside demand.
Pudu’s recent growth provides some context for the raise. The company reported a doubling of revenue by 2025, with its cleaning robots now accounting for the majority of its business. Its industrial delivery robots have also seen early traction, with thousands of units deployed within a year of launch.
Its products are already in use with large global retailers including Carrefour, Walmart and EDEKA. Industry estimates place Pudu among the largest players in commercial service robotics, with a leading share of the global market.
Technically, the company develops much of its core stack in-house, including navigation systems, multi-robot coordination software and motion control. This allows its robots to operate in complex real-world environments where multiple machines need to move and work together.
“This financial milestone is a powerful confirmation of Pudu’s industry leadership, the strength of its products and technology, its global brand, and its commercial infrastructure. With the support of our strategic investors and industry partners, Pudu will continue to push the boundaries of embedded AI and business service robotics. We remain committed to innovating with an inventor’s spirit and leveraging a global vision to accelerate robot adoption, thereby elevating the industry to new heights in the global value chain”. said Felix Zhang, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics.
The funding round points to a broader shift in the sector. As service robotics moves from pilot deployments to wider adoption, companies are increasingly being judged on their ability to scale production and operate across markets, not just on the novelty of their technology.
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A newly built district in northern China is being used to test how cities function when infrastructure, data and automation are integrated from the ground up. In Xiong'an New Area, traffic systems, public monitoring and urban services are designed to respond in real time rather than operate on fixed rules.
At the centre of this is a traffic management system powered by more than 20,000 roadside sensors. These track traffic flow, vehicle types and congestion levels, feeding data into an AI system that adjusts signals in milliseconds. Official figures show this has reduced the average number of stops per vehicle by half. The system also detects equipment faults, sends alerts and generates maintenance requests without manual input.
Automation extends beyond roads. Drones are deployed across the city for routine monitoring. In the Rongdong district, roadside units release drones that follow fixed patrol routes of around 1.27 kilometres, completing each run in about five minutes. They are used to monitor traffic, detect illegal parking and inspect public spaces. Similar systems operate in parks to track water levels and issue flood alerts, while in some work zones, drones transport packages of up to five kilograms between buildings.
These applications reflect a broader approach: integrating multiple systems into a single, connected urban framework. Unlike older cities where infrastructure evolves in layers, Xiong’an has been built with coordinated digital systems from the outset. This allows transport, maintenance and public services to operate through shared data systems rather than in isolation.
Alongside this, the area is being developed as a technology and innovation hub. Since its establishment in 2017, it has attracted more than 400 branches of state-owned enterprises and over 200 companies working in sectors such as artificial intelligence, aerospace information and digital technology.
This ecosystem supports projects like the “Xiong’an-1” satellite, which completed research, design, production and testing within eight months of regulatory approval in 2025. The satellite is currently undergoing testing, with a planned launch expected in the second quarter of 2026. It forms part of a broader push to build an aerospace information industry in the region.
The area is also structured to bring companies, research and production closer together. At the Zhongguancun Science Park in Xiong’an, which spans 207,000 square metres, 269 technology companies operate across sectors including AI, robotics and biotechnology. The park hosts more than 2,700 researchers and industry professionals, with companies organised into sector-specific clusters.
Policy support continues to shape this development. In early 2026, the State Council approved the upgrade of Xiong’an’s high-tech industrial development zone to national level status, with a focus on attracting high-end research and strengthening links between scientific development and industrial output.
Xiong’an is positioned as a testing ground for how smart city systems can be deployed at scale. The model depends on coordinated planning, integrated infrastructure and sustained policy support. Whether these systems can be adapted to existing cities, where infrastructure and governance are more fragmented, remains an open question.