Gravis Robotics raises $23M to scale global autonomy rollout

Gravis Robotics raises $23M to push construction autonomy into the mainstream

Gravis Robotics has secured $23 million in fresh investment. The ETH Zurich spinout is building retrofit autonomy kits for heavy equipment. Its goal is simple. Make excavators and loaders work with higher accuracy, safer performance, and a boost in site productivity.

The round was co-led by IQ Capital and Zacua Ventures. Pear VC, Imad of Nesma & Partners, Sunna Ventures, Armada Investment, and Holcim also invested. The new capital will fuel rapid expansion across the UK, US, and EU.

Construction demand is rising fast. Clean energy targets and data centre growth drive new activity. Housing and transport projects add more pressure. Yet productivity has barely moved in decades. Skilled excavator operators are also retiring. Few replacements are entering the workforce. Gravis wants to close this gap with autonomy that works on day one.

Gravis brings autonomy to standard machinery

The company’s retrofit “Rack” attaches to excavators and loaders. It blends LiDAR, cameras, GPS, and hydraulic sensors. The system reads soil conditions and adjusts in real time. It handles trenching, grading, and stockpile management with consistent precision. It lifts site output by about 30%. It also reduces near-miss incidents.

The Rack works with more than a dozen machine brands. It supports HD Hyundai Develon, CNH loaders, and Menzi Muck walkers. It installs through existing dealer networks. It avoids the cost of buying new autonomous machines. It also avoids the limits of older kits tied to specific models.

Gravis pairs the Rack with a Slate tablet. Operators can switch to robot mode. They can adjust tasks remotely. They can blend autonomy with manual finesse. The system streams site data. It helps the AI learn from real conditions.

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A team with deep robotics expertise

The company launched in late 2022 as a spinout from ETH Zurich. CEO and co-founder Ryan Luke Johns trained in architecture and robotics. He grew up on construction sites. He also holds a Guinness World Record for the largest robot-built dry-stone wall. CTO Dominic Jud brings expertise in hydraulic control. His past work includes ETH Zurich’s 23-axis HEAP robot.

The founders met in the lab of ETH professor Marco Hutter. Hutter is a leading figure in reinforcement learning and robotics. His team won the DARPA Subterranean Challenge. He now supports several robotics ventures. This level of research depth gives Gravis a strong technical foundation.

Real deployments across global sites

Gravis systems are active in seven countries. Sites include the UK, EU, US, Latin America, and Asia. Many deployments take place on working construction projects. Contractors use the technology for trenching and grading. They also use it for stockpile management and quarry work.

A major milestone came at Manchester Airport. Taylor Woodrow used Gravis systems on an active infrastructure project. It was the UK’s first large-scale use of autonomous excavation. Contractors saw improvements in productivity and safety. Morgan Sindall reported output similar to skilled drivers. In some cases, the system improved team efficiency.

These results help validate the company’s approach. Autonomy must fit into existing workflows. It must solve problems today. Gravis focuses on quick wins. It builds toward full autonomy in stages.

Scaling towards global construction demand

The fresh capital helps Gravis expand its team. It also supports larger production runs of the Rack system. The company will strengthen partnerships with OEMs and contractors. New channels will include equipment dealers and rental firms. Gravis has already partnered with Flannery, the UK’s largest plant hire provider. The aim is to make autonomous machinery as normal as renting a bulldozer.

Holcim, one of the largest building materials companies, joined the round as a strategic investor. It sees potential for quarry automation. Other partners include Taylor Woodrow and HD Hyundai. These relationships will support the company’s move from European pilots to US megaprojects.

Investors believe Gravis can capture a large share of the $1.6 trillion earthmoving sector. The team combines robotics research with industry experience. The company also benefits from Europe’s global contractor footprint. European construction firms already work across borders. Their workflows set high standards. They also provide ideal conditions for autonomy systems to mature.

Gravis now stands at an important moment. Infrastructure demand is rising. Workforce shortages are deepening. Autonomy is becoming necessary, not optional. The company’s retrofit approach makes adoption easier and cheaper. It also gathers field data at scale. This data drives improvements in the AI.

Gravis plans to move quickly. It wants autonomous excavation to become standard practice. Its partners expect the same. Autonomy is shifting from trial to deployment. Gravis is helping drive that shift.