ViTai Robotics raises a Series A of several hundred million yuan, led by rail maker CRRC's investment arm

ViTai Robotics, a Shanghai maker of visuotactile sensors for robot fingers and grippers, has closed a Series A worth several hundred million yuan, 36Kr reported. CRRC Capital, the investment arm of Chinese rail-equipment maker CRRC, co-led the round with Yongxin Fangzhou. Luxin Venture Capital, Mumianhua Fund, Yinxinggu Capital and Huacang Capital followed. Xiaomi's strategic investment arm led ViTai's angel round.

The new money is betting on factory lines more than robot hands. ViTai's sensors already help assemble precision parts on a Xiaomi phone line, PEdaily reported, at the step where a camera can line a part up but cannot tell whether it is seated or slipping. CRRC Capital said CRRC companies will use ViTai's technology in high-end equipment manufacturing for rail transit and new-energy equipment. Hands alone would not be enough. ViTai says its sensors are in the products of 90% of the world's dexterous-hand makers, including BrainCo and Linkerbot, but IDC expects only about 25,000 dexterous hands to ship worldwide in 2026.

ViTai has added grippers and data-collection rigs to its tactile sensors, and says the sensors are rated for 5 million press cycles. Its new lead investor builds trains, not robot hands.