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Rice Robotics, a Hong Kong-based developer of out of doors and indoor supply, safety, and disinfection robots, has introduced in $7 million in Pre-Sequence A funding.
The corporate has already used a number of the funding to ascertain a brand new manufacturing plant in Hong Kong. The plant began operations within the first quarter of 2023, and is positioned in Tsuen Wan’s industrial space. Since opening, the 13,000-square-foot facility has quadrupled the corporate’s annual manufacturing capability.
Rice Robotics’ new plant is a part of its dedication to designing and manufacturing its robots in Hong Kong.
“We aspire to showcase to the world that Hong Kong possesses a robotics firm able to producing first-tier service robots,” Victor Lee, the founder and CEO of Rice Robotics, stated. “Our goal is to nurture expertise domestically and contribute to the development of Business 4.0 in our hometown.”
Rice Robotics additionally plans to make use of the funding, and its new Hong Kong facility, to focus on the Japanese market. This market is especially fascinating to the corporate due to Japan’s willingness to undertake service robots.
The corporate has made massive strides in recent times inside the Japanese Market. Since 2021, its Rice robots have been delivering 7-Eleven merchandise to Softbank workers on the firm’s headquarters in Tekeshiba, Toyo. The pilot program is a joint initiative between Rice Robotics and Softbank.
Rice Robotics has additionally been working with the Japan Submit Group to deploy 5 supply robots for last-mile deliveries in a residential space within the Chiba prefecture since March 2021. RICE robots are additionally at work for the Toyota Motor Company inside the firm’s digital showroom in Tokyo, the place the robots serve drinks to visitors.
Rice robots will even quickly be offering supply providers to the Mitsui Backyard Lodge, constructing off of the corporate’s present partnership with Mitsui Group. In 2022, Rice Robotics accomplished profitable implementations of its robots at Tokyo Midtown Taesu and Mitsui Backyard Lodge Kashiwa-no-ha Parkside.
Rice Robotics at present gives three autonomous cellular robots (AMRs): Rice, Jasmine, and Portal. Rice is an indoor supply robotic that may carry something from contemporary espresso to medical provides and paperwork.
Jasmine is the corporate’s disinfection robotic that sprays vaporized sterilizing fluid. The robotic can run for as much as 8 hours at a time and might do scheduled disinfections with adjustable vaporization power. Lastly, Portal is Rice Robotics’ safety and patrol robotic that may stream and file video, has a 2-way intercom, and might do issues like detect water spillage or observe air high quality.