Gravis Robotics Raises $200M for Autonomous Excavators
Zurich-based Gravis Robotics has raised $200 million in Series A funding from SoftBank to scale its retrofit technology that turns standard heavy construction machinery into autonomous robots.
The Zurich-based construction robotics startup Gravis Robotics, founded in late 2022 as an ETH Zurich spinout, has secured a $200 million Series A funding round led by SoftBank. Led by co-founders Ryan Luke Johns and Dominic Jud, alongside board member Marco Hutter, the company plans to use the capital to accelerate the international rollout of its physical AI technology. Rather than manufacturing new heavy machinery, Gravis focuses on retrofitting existing fleets of excavators and wheel loaders with autonomous capabilities.
At the core of the company's offering is the Gravis RACK, a modular rooftop control system that integrates cameras, 3D LiDAR, GNSS RTK positioning, and automotive-grade edge computing. This hardware allows the system to process data locally, ensuring continuous operation even on remote jobsites without internet connectivity. The platform is designed to work across mixed fleets, with compatibility already established for machinery from Caterpillar, John Deere, JCB, Hitachi, Volvo, Yanmar, Case, Develon, and Sumitomo.
For construction practitioners, this retrofit approach avoids the massive capital expenditure of replacing existing fleets. Operators manage the machinery using the Slate tablet interface, which supports multiple modes. These include an in-cab Copilot mode with tap-to-dig controls and augmented visual guidance, as well as remote orchestration for supervising multiple machines simultaneously. The system's terrain-aware excavation technology can reportedly boost site throughput by up to 30% by continuously interpreting physical forces and hydraulic data.
This massive funding round follows a $23 million raise in November 2025, which supported deployments across seven countries. Gravis has already demonstrated its technology on active infrastructure projects, such as a Taylor Woodrow site at Manchester Airport, and through partnerships with Holcim, HD Hyundai, and Flannery Plant Hire. The company is also participating in the UK's CAM Pathfinder program, which will trial a fully autonomous earthmoving system across six excavators to test trenching, bulk excavation, and truck loading in real-world rental environments.
This is our own summary of reporting by Unite.AI
