Mecka AI, a startup specializing in the collection and analysis of human motion data for training humanoid robots, is close to finalizing a financing round led by Sequoia Capital at a valuation of approximately $500 million. The information was reported by two individuals with knowledge of the transaction.
This latest investment comes merely three months after the company secured a $60 million raise led by Framework Ventures, with participation from Menlo Ventures, SV Angel, and Kindred Ventures. Precise details regarding the size of the new round have not been disclosed, and because terms are still being finalized, figures may shift before the deal closes.
Co-founded in 2024, Mecka AI was established by Josh Gao and Mogen Cheng, who previously launched a fintech venture in the restaurant sector, along with Jason Chong, who joined Coinbase following its acquisition of his crypto exchange. Duy Nguyen, the team’s sole non-Canadian member, oversees operations. Despite lacking prior robotics experience, the founders identified a critical gap in physical-world data, recognizing that capturing authentic human interactions was the primary obstacle preventing the development of general-purpose robots.
Deriving its name from “mecha,” a term for fictional giant robots, Mecka aims to replicate for robotics the success achieved by companies like Scale AI and Mercor in the large language model (LLM) space. The platform compensates individuals to record themselves performing routine activities, such as preparing coffee or repairing vehicles, using smartphones and body sensors.
According to Gao, speaking to Fortune earlier this year, the company projected an annual run rate of $100 million by the end of 2026. While Mecka has not publicly revealed its client roster, numerous robotics firms and AI laboratories utilize its “egocentric” data collection method, alongside other techniques like teleoperation, to develop their models.
The funding surge underscores a broader industry competition for real-world training data. Competitors include XDOF, which recently entered talks for a Series B at a $1.2 billion valuation, and established data platforms such as Scale AI and Micro1, which are expanding beyond text and code into physical robotics data.
Founders without robotics experience leading this charge is bold. Hope the data quality backs up the valuation.
Do we really need another ‘Scale AI for robots’? Seems like every startup is pivoting to physical data lately.
$500M in just three months? The hunger for robotics data is absolutely insatiable right now.