PR91585

BEIJING, Sept. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Company is currently the highest valued unicorn in intelligent robotics

globally

Agile Robots, a leading intelligent robotics company, has recently announced

the completion of a Series C financing with a total investment of US$220

million. The financing exercise is led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2*, followed by

financial investors including but not limited to Chimera Investments under Abu

Dhabi Royal Group, GL Ventures, Sequoia China and Linear Capital (in

alphabetical order), and strategic investors including Xiaomi Group, Foxconn

Industrial Internet ("FII"), and Midas. The proceedings from this financing

exercise will be mainly used for the company's product development, mass

production and global sales business expansion.

It is reported that Agile Robots managed to raise a total financing amount of

over US$130 million in 2020 as the company with highest total financing amount

in intelligent robotics industry in 2020. Agile Robots is currently the only

unicorn in the intelligent robotics field with a valuation exceeding US$1

billion globally. With the completion of this financing round, Agile Robots

become the first intelligent robotics company invested by SoftBank Vision Fund

2 in China.

Founded in 2018, with its headquartered both in Munich, Germany and Beijing,

China, Agile Robots is a robotics software platform company with the leading

hardware know-how in robotics. With German Aerospace Centre ("DLR") as its

technical backbone and the core concept of "artificial intelligence

empowerment", the company is committed to promoting the deep combination and

innovation of artificial intelligence and robotics and expanding the

application of robotics in more fields. DLR is not only the first institute to

send intelligent robots into space and perform complex tasks such as

human-robot collaboration, but also the first in the world to propose and

develop successful force-controlled robots that adopted by industries.

Agile Robots independently developed and launched software and hardware

products such as its operating system AgileCore for the coordination of robots

and accessories such as end effectors from different manufactures, its smart

force-controlled robot DIANA, its medical robots, humanoid dexterous

five-finger hands, and its flexible intelligent platform (FIP). With its unique

hardware and software R&D capabilities, Agile Robots has launched its highly

disruptive "robotic worker" that serves as smart assistant to all kinds of

workers and professionals from different fields to take over mundane or

dangerous tasks. Therewith Agile Robots opens new "blue ocean markets" for

intelligent robot applications. Currently, the company has implemented its

robots for production in multiple industrial scenarios. Agile Robots' products

have been successfully put into mass production, achieved large-scale

applications in medical, industrial (consumer electronics, automotive, jewelry

and other precision assembly and manufacturing scenarios), agricultural,

education and service fields.

Agile Robots is expanding the market globally. In particular for the Chinese

Market, it has completed the strategic layout in multiple regions. Besides, the

company has reached comprehensive strategic cooperation with Chinese orthopedic

surgery robot listed company, top neurosurgery robot company, multiple Chinese

top-tier general and specialist hospitals and several other world leading

enterprises (such as international consumer electronics production giant,

international top telecom service provider and world leading electronic

equipment manufacturer etc.). With the completion of its product

commercialization, Agile Robots seeks to remain strong growth in its sales.

Dr. Zhaopeng Chen, the founder of Agile Robots said: "With the unique

technology by combining robotic OS and the world's leading sensitive robots,

Agile Robots is seeking for fundamental breakthrough in robotic area and

realistically applying the next generation of robots into intelligent precision

assembly area and medical treatment, which can only be accomplished by human

beings right now. With the supports from our reputable investors and customers,

we are confident to push the robotics into new era with all our partners."

"As part of our ongoing commitment to China's dynamic market and to help

entrepreneurs drive a wave of innovation, we are delighted to partner with Dr.

Zhaopeng Chen, Peter Meusel, and the Agile Robots team," said Dr. Eric Chen,

Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers. "Agile Robots connects

artificial intelligence with advanced robotics technology to solve some of the

most challenging industry problems and is the latest example of our continued

support of China's growing technology sector."

Luke Li, Founding Partner of Hillhouse Group, said, "Hillhouse is a long-term

investor in Agile Robots, having participated in several of its financing

rounds, including the seed round. We were delighted to witness Dr. Zhaopeng

Chen's team achieve multiple breakthroughs in the field of robotics. Agile

Robots has developed high-precision force-controlled robots with advanced

collision detection and joint-torque control capabilities that can be rapidly

deployed and adapted to a variety of application scenarios. These

force-controlled robots have the potential to drive revolutionary innovations

in industrial robotics applications. Hillhouse's investment in Agile Robotics

stands at the intersection of our longstanding interdisciplinary research in

the robotics industry and our research and investment in advanced

manufacturing, including in high-end precision equipment, smart robots,

alternative energy and new materials. We look forward to Agile Robots'

continuous contribution to the efforts in upgrading the manufacturing sector.

Caroline Fu, partner of Sequoia China, said: "Despite the demand for robots is

fast growing, traditional robots are limited in standard tasks. We are

optimistic about Agile Robots' potential market of general-purpose robots by

integrating intelligent robots, force-sensing and robot vision. Their

innovative technology can be applied widely in markets with large-scale and

complex demand for robots, such as medical treatment, 3C and automotive

manufacturing. We hope that Agile Robots will develop and apply more

industry-leading innovative technologies in the near future to provide

efficient, reliable and low-cost solutions for more complex scenarios."

*As of the date of this press release, SoftBank Group Corp. has made capital

contributions to allow investments by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 ("SVF 2") in

certain portfolio companies. The information included herein is made for

informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a

solicitation of an offer to buy limited partnership interests in any fund,

including SVF 2. SVF 2 has yet to have an external close, and any potential

third-party investors shall receive additional information related to any SVF 2

investments prior to closing.

For more information about the Documentary, please visit

https://www.agile-robots.com/

SOURCE: Beijing Agile Robot Technology Co., Ltd

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   Link: http://asianetnews.net/view-attachment?attach-id=400305

   Caption: AGILE ROBOTS announces the completion of Series C financing led by SoftBank

Vision Fund 2