SoftBank Invests $200 Million In Gravis Robotics For Autonomous Heavy Equipment

Dubai (PlantAndEquipment.com) - SoftBank is investing $200 million in Gravis Robotics, which develops technologies to convert current excavators and other heavy construction equipment into autonomous robots.

The Swiss construction robots business will be valued at $1 billion when the Series A investment is made. Gravis, founded in 2022 as an ETH Zurich spinout, creates retrofit hardware and software that enables contractors to automate equipment without replacing their current fleets.

Its Gravis Rack, which combines sensors, processing, and software, has already been adapted to equipment from over a dozen brands and types, including excavators weighing over ten tons and considerably bigger Caterpillar machines.

Equipped equipment can dig, trench, load trucks, maintain stockpiles, and move around construction sites on their own. Operators may choose between human and autonomous operation, keeping more sophisticated work under direct supervision while automating routine activities.

Gravis claims their technology is now operational on four continents and will be implemented in seven countries by November, with clients and partners including Holcim, Taylor Woodrow, and HD Hyundai. The business has also recorded productivity gains of over 30% on various projects, while performance varies greatly based on equipment, personnel, and site circumstances.

The investment comes as autonomous heavy equipment gains traction in construction and mining, fueled by labor shortages and demand to increase workplace efficiency. Gravis devices are already in use in data centers, roads, utilities, oil and gas projects, and quarries.

Gravis plans to use the new capital to grow worldwide, employ more people, and speed commercial deployment, including partnerships that might enable contractors to use autonomous excavators in the same way they do traditional construction equipment.