Gaussian Robotics today said it has raised 1.2 billion yuan ($188 million U.S.) in Series C funding. The COVID-19 pandemic raised awareness of the need to frequently sanitize facilities, mitigate worker shortages, and control costs, said the Shanghai-based company.
Founded in 2013, Gaussian Robotics makes autonomous mobile robots for cleaning and indoor deliveries. The company, also referred to as Gaoxian, said its robots are used in airports, schools, offices, shopping malls, hospitals, hotels, and other sites in 40 countries.
Gaussian Ecobot line cleans 93M mi.
The Ecobot product line from Gaussian Robotics includes a robotic vacuum and sweeper, as well as scrubbers and sprayers. The company claimed that its systems have cleaned more than 150 million km (93.2 million mi., the distance from the Earth to the Sun).
The Scrubber50 requires only two hours of maintenance for every 100 hours of autonomous operation, said Gaussian. By contrast, a manually operated scrubber requires 15 hours of downtime per 130 hours of operation, it added.
Gaussian is collaborating with Singapore-based Integrated Facilities Services Consulting Pte. Ltd. (IFSC), which said it uses data-driven optimization heuistics to provide continuous insights into how to holistically manage urban facilities.
It also works with service robotics provider KONE Corp. They integrated with elevators or lifts at a Singapore National Gallery Event. The robots mapped the facility and interacted through application programming interfaces (APIs).
SoftBank among funding leaders
Capital Today, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Meituan, and other investors participated in Gaussian's Series C round. The company did not disclose its current valuation, reported Reuters.
In April, Gaussian Robotics raised $100 million in Series B funding.
The global market for cleaning robots will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.8%, growing from $8.9 billion in 2021 to $24.8 billion in 2026, estimated Markets and Markets.