MoneyAugust 17, 2026via SiliconAngle

Gravis Robotics gets $200M from SoftBank to retrofit excavators with self-driving AI systems

Why it matters

A landmark funding round signals serious capital flowing into autonomous heavy machinery, a high-stakes, low-hype corner of the agentic AI buildout where deployment means real infrastructure work, not pilots.

Key signals

  • Gravis Robotics raises $200M Series A from SoftBank
  • Largest-ever Series A for construction robotics startup
  • Founded 2022, spun out of Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich
  • Focus: autonomous/self-driving systems for heavy excavators
  • Software-defined retrofit approach for existing equipment

The hook

$200M. SoftBank just backed the largest Series A ever for construction robotics—retrofitting excavators with autonomous AI.

Gravis Robotics AG said today it has bagged $200 million in funding from SoftBank Group Corp. in what is the largest-ever Series A round for a construction robotics startup. The startup was founded in 2022 after being spun out of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, having developed int

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