Company that turns conventional heavy machines autonomous raises $23m

The company uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to convert conventional heavy machinery into autonomous machines.

The company has already struck deals with companies including Holcim, UK-based housebuilder Taylor Woodrow, and HD Hyundai.

It is also partnering with UK plant hire provider Flannery to provide a combined rental package for construction companies, offering an excavator that is already equipped with Gravis technology.

Following an expansion, Gravis is now live in seven countries across the UK, European Union, US, Latin America and Asia.

The company was founded in late 2022

Founded in late 2022 as a spinout from Swiss university ETH Zurich, Gravis Robotics aims to target productivity from machines.

It claims that its technology can boost output by up to 30% on a range of tasks from trenching and earthworks to grading. It can also adapt to real ground conditions using data from hydraulics, LiDAR, cameras and GNSS.

Ryan Luke Johns, CEO and co-founder of Gravis Robotics, said, “The fastest path to autonomy is delivering productivity today. By giving operators real-time 3D intelligence and the ability to shift seamlessly between autonomy and augmented control, we cover more of the work, accelerate adoption, and create the data pipeline needed to learn new capabilities from the industry’s hardest jobs.”

Steffan Speer, technical director at Morgan Sindall Construction said, “Construction faces major challenges, from attracting and retaining a skilled workforce to improving productivity. The industry has often been seen as slow to adopt new technologies. Working with Gravis Robotics, we’re changing that.”