(Yicai) Oct.18 -- Chinese robotics developer LimX Dynamics said it has secured CNY200 million (USD27.4 million) in angel and pre-A round financing.

Investors in the angel round included FreeS Fund, Stalagnate Capital, Future Capital, and Kinzon Capital, the Shenzhen-based firm said yesterday. The pre-A fundraiser was led by Vitalbridge Capital, followed by Lenovo Capital and Incubator Group, it added.

The funding will help LimX Dynamics innovate in robotics and artificial intelligence and their application, the firm noted. The financial and industrial support from the investors will go to the company’s wheeled quadruped product development, research and development of humanoid robots, and tackling core technological advancements in embodied AI, it noted.

Set up last year, LimX Dynamics develops and produces motion-intelligent and legged robots, including androids and wheeled quadrupeds mainly for industrial inspections, logistics, special tasks, and home services. 

“The integration of perception and motion control is pivotal for the next generation legged robots,” said founder Zhang Wei. “With our technological edge, our focus is sharpened on advancing product foundation for wheeled quadrupeds, technological breakthrough of humanoids, and the fusion of AI with general-purpose robots.”

Last month, the firm released its first wheeled quadruped robot, the W1. Equipped with perception and motion control algorithms, it was China's first wheeled quadruped robot to have autonomous terrain perception ability and go up and down stairs through real-time gait planning and control, with higher speed, lower energy consumption, and a longer range than traditional quadruped robots, according to the company.

“Lenovo will continue to empower LimX Dynamics in accelerating commercialization and R&D of wheeled quadrupeds and other types of legged robots in both B2B and B2C sectors," noted George He, senior vice president of Lenovo and president of Lenovo Capital.

“As the robot industry progressively moves towards more complex scenarios and applications, legged robot and AI become the key direction for industry upgrades," said Li Feng, founding partner of FreeS Fund. “Transitioning to all-terrain mobility goes beyond mere hardware adaptations, it signifies a shift towards the integration of real-time perception and motion control.

Editor: Martin Kadiev