Space robotics startup GITAI announced yesterday it had raised an additional $15M of funding, bringing its total Series B extension round to $45M after securing $30M in May.
The funding for the Japan-based company—which included equity from Green Co-Invest, Pacific Bays Capital, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, and a MUFG Bank loan—will be used to expand its US operations and support a lunar surface demo.
GITAI expanded into the US in June 2022 with the opening of a Los Angeles office. The company recently completed its manufacturing setup and is ramping up hiring.
Robot workforce: GITAI is developing a robotic workforce to perform maintenance, construction, and navigation tasks in orbit, as well as on the Moon and Mars, with the aim of slashing operational costs by a factor of 100. The company is building two products:
- Inchworm: A two-meter-long robotic arm designed to perform maintenance, repair, drilling, and welding in space. The jack-of-all-trades arm can move along surfaces in a slinky-like walk.
- Lunar rover: A rover to be used for lunar locomotion and resource extraction. The startup has been testing the vehicle in the Mojave Desert.
New cadets: GITAI plans to launch the Inchworm to the ISS on an upcoming mission and deploy the arm outside the Bishop Airlock. After development and testing, the startup plans to combine the mechanical arm with the rover and launch the Moon’s first robot employee by 2026.
