- Published on
China’s RobotPlusPlus Raises Series C to Expand Industrial Robotics Business
- Authors
- Name
- DeepHorus
RobotPlusPlus, a Beijing-based industrial robotics company, has raised hundreds of millions of yuan in Series C funding. The round was led by Qianggang Capital Fund, with participation from GIG Capital Group, Sealand Innovation, and Juntong Capital, and existing investor Fosun RZ Capital increased its stake. This funding will fuel global expansion and further development of embodied AI systems for hazardous industrial work. The investment highlights growing confidence in robotics automation for dangerous tasks.
RobotPlusPlus has spent over a decade developing robots designed to replace human workers on scaffolding and other hazardous structures. The company focuses on maintenance and operations at height or in dangerous environments such as shipyards, oil-and-gas facilities, wind farms, and building exteriors. Its early emphasis on ship hull derusting has positioned it as a market leader with over 70% share in that segment. The new funding builds on this legacy of safety and efficiency.
The company's robots have accumulated more than 2 million operating hours, and its hull derusting systems have worked on over 10,000 cargo vessels at more than 100 shipyards. RobotPlusPlus operates in over 18 countries, serving customers like NOSCO Shipyard, Drydocks World, ST Engineering Marine, Saudi Aramco, and Vopak. More than 60% of its workforce is dedicated to R&D, with R&D spending exceeding 20% of revenue for the past three years. The Series C round, though undisclosed in exact figures, is described as hundreds of millions of yuan.
The robots are designed to handle physical tasks while human workers supervise from safer locations, combining robotics with AI for decision support. RobotPlusPlus is developing embodied AI models trained on data from its 2 million operating hours, enabling robots to adapt to complex industrial environments. Its derusting systems perform work five to six times faster than manual methods and reduce overall costs by 30% to 50%. This technical edge is central to its expansion into new industrial applications.
In the short term, the funding will accelerate RobotPlusPlus's global footprint and allow it to deploy its robots in more hazardous job sites, reducing human risk. Long-term, the development of embodied AI for industrial settings could transform how maintenance and construction tasks are performed, potentially reshaping labor markets and safety standards. As the company moves beyond ship maintenance into other industries, it may set new benchmarks for automation in high-risk work. This could pressure competitors to innovate faster.
The investment round signals strong investor confidence in industrial robotics and AI, particularly for applications that address worker safety. Industry analysts view RobotPlusPlus's market dominance in ship derusting as a proof point for scaling robotics in niche sectors. Competitors in the industrial automation space may need to respond with their own AI-driven solutions. The participation of diverse investors, including government-backed funds, suggests broader strategic interest in China's robotics ecosystem.
RobotPlusPlus plans to use the Series C to expand into additional industrial operations beyond ship maintenance, focusing on high-risk environments. The company will continue developing AI models for specific industrial settings, leveraging its vast operating data. As it enters more countries and industries, it could become a global leader in embodied AI for hazardous work. Future funding rounds may follow if growth accelerates. The next few years will be critical for demonstrating scalability and return on investment.
