Ati Motors Secures $20 Million Funding, Propelling India’s Robotics Industry Forward
Ati Motors, an Indian-based autonomous mobile robots (AMR) startup, has raised $20 million in a funding round, underscoring the growing momentum in the country’s robotics industry. The firm plans to leverage the investment to accelerate its global expansion, particularly targeting increased demand for domestic manufacturing in the United States, India, and Southeast Asian nations.
The funding comes as India looks to solidify its position as a global robotics leader by 2030. In 2023, the Indian government proposed the National Strategy for Robotics, a nationwide policy aimed at propelling the South Asian nation’s robotics capabilities. Currently, India ranks as the seventh-largest robotics market, recording a 59% year-over-year growth in annual industrial robotics installations, reaching 8,500 units in 2023, as per the International Federation of Robotics.
“Our competitor is always the status quo, not really another robot,” said Saurabh Chandra, the founder and CEO of Ati Motors. “Typically, we are displacing manual operation or somebody driving a vehicle or often somebody pushing it by hands.”
The 7-year-old startup, which has a manufacturing and R&D facility in Bengaluru, has developed seven distinct robots, two of which are currently in testing and will be available this quarter. Ati Motors’ robots are equipped with 3D lidar sensors and possess spatial awareness, allowing them to navigate even in challenging environments with harsh weather conditions, varying flooring, and obstacles such as gradients, cracks, or oil spills.
Ati Motors has designed the software and hardware for its robots in-house, including their sensor-fusion algorithms. The company utilizes Nvidia’s Jetson platform for edge computing and offers dedicated fleet management software that can integrate with other companies’ mobile robots, providing customers with interoperability.
“The future is such that millions of robots are going to go into factories. No one company is going to make all the millions of robots alone. And should we want to play with other people from day one? Yes,” Chandra stated.
The startup offers a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model, allowing companies to lease its AMRs, as well as the option to purchase the systems outright. Ati Motors has already deployed “hundreds” of its Sherpa robots across 40 manufacturers, including Airbus, Ceat Tyres, Forvia, Hyundai, Samsung, and TVS Motor. The U.S. currently dominates the startup’s revenues, with 80% of its customer base in the automobile sector, prompting Ati Motors to expand its North American presence, particularly in Detroit.
The $20 million Series B funding round was co-led by Walden Catalyst Ventures and NGP Capital, with the participation of existing investors, including True Ventures, Exfinity Venture Partners, Athera Venture Partners, and Blume Ventures.
