TMTPOST -- Robot Era, an embodied intelligence company founded at Tsinghua University, has completed a nearly 300 million yuan ($41 million) Pre-A round of financing.

The round was co-led by ClearVue Partners, YuanJing Capital, and Alibaba, with participation from Orinno Capital. Existing investors Lenovo Ventures, Century Golden Resources, Jinding Capital, and Tsinghua Holdings' Tiancheng Ventures also followed on. China Renaissance acted as the exclusive financial advisor for the round.

The funds raised will accelerate the development of embodied intelligence technology and advance the commercialization of general-purpose humanoid robots. The company aims to further strengthen its talent pool, technology barriers, and market-leading position.

This marks Robot Era’s third funding round since its inception just over a year ago. The company is committed to becoming a leader in defining native embodied intelligence systems, integrating cutting-edge AI models with innovative hardware platforms for humanoid robots.

Founded in August 2023, Robot Era originated from research at Tsinghua University. Its founder, Chen Jianyu, holds a bachelor’s degree from Tsinghua University and a PhD from UC Berkeley. His research expertise, particularly in robotics and AI, laid the foundation for the creation of Robot Era and its flagship humanoid robot, “Xiao Xing,” which has undergone six iterations since its debut.

Robot Era focuses on developing humanoid robots with broad applications, adaptable to various complex environments. The company has assembled a team of experts across the robotics hardware and software sectors and plans to push further in commercial applications.

In terms of the technology product, Robot Era is the first company in China to achieve humanoid robots driven by embodiment perception. Its independently developed high-torque density modular joints and integrated structural designs, utilizing advanced materials like high-strength alloys and carbon fiber, ensure not only the strength and stability of the robot structure but also deliver high performance in terms of power and mobility while significantly reducing costs.

The latest generation, STAR 1, has increased its degrees of freedom to 55, with joint torque boosted to 400 Nm and joint speeds reaching 25 rad/s.

The company claims it has achieved full-link technological breakthroughs in the field of humanoid robots, including embodied intelligence, reinforcement learning, precise control algorithms, as well as key components such as the robot body, joints, motors, and drivers.

On the commercialization front, Robot Era is advancing through three core aspects: technology research and development, product innovation, and market expansion.

Previously, Robot Era has engaged in deep collaboration with institutions like Tsinghua University, Shanghai Qizhi Research Institute, iFLYTEK, and Lingang Group to facilitate the transition of its robotic products from technological research to industrial implementation.

"We appreciate the recognition of our team and technological capabilities from both new and existing shareholders. Our vision is to create general intelligent entities that allow robots to play greater roles across various industries," said Chen.

In the future, the company will continue to focus on technological breakthroughs and application implementations, promoting innovation and progress in the embodied intelligence industry, he added.