Gasgoo Munich- Vbot announced on May 11 that it has closed a Pre-A funding round worth nearly 500 million yuan.Proceeds will fuel mass production and sales network expansion, as well as R&D for a new generation of humanoid robots.Image credit: VbotFounded in late 2024, Vbot is led by CEO Yu Yinan, a former vice president and early founding member of Horizon Robotics. His co-founders include Song Wei, formerly Horizon's chief software architect, and Zhao Zhelun, who previously served as director of smart driving products at Li Auto.On the business front, Vbot rolled out its first smart companion robot—the Big Head BoBo smart dog—in late 2025, officially kicking off deliveries on May 8. The first batch of 500 units has rolled off the production line and is shipping to consumers via WeChat Mini Programs and JD.com.Vbot expects to deliver its super-capable robot dog to more than 1,500 users in May. Capacity is set to rise above 2,500 units in June, accelerating fulfillment for pre-order customers.Building on this momentum, Vbot announced it will simultaneously begin developing humanoid robots. The move advances its brand mission of "creating life-space robots" and aims to accelerate the entry of robots into daily living environments with generalized service capabilities.Specifically, the team will focus on three pillars: developing a full-size humanoid body with both mobility and task-execution capabilities; building a hand-foot integrated world model that covers general manipulation and movement; and creating an Agentic OS architecture for embodied intelligence. This operating system is designed to foster a rich application ecosystem across homes, businesses, and offices.Vbot's team has grown to over 100 people. Its core staff boasts full-stack R&D capabilities—spanning product design, structural and electrical engineering, systems, AI algorithms, and Agent applications—alongside complete commercial competencies in supply chain management, high-volume production, omnichannel sales, and customer service.In Yu's view, a truly effective data loop—and the path to physical AI—requires robots to integrate into daily life and real-world scenarios. The company's core strategy, therefore, is to drive continuous iteration in real environments. The goal is to evolve from handling finite tasks to becoming general agents capable of delivering consistent, high-quality service around the clock.About "Seeds":Gasgoo's "Seeds" column aims to build a service platform connecting startups, ecosystem partners, investors, and local governments to empower the industrial chain. Since its launch, the column has been dedicated to identifying standout companies, technologies, and business models driving the intelligent transformation. According to Gasgoo, nearly every startup featured in "Seeds" has successfully connected with resources across the industrial ecosystem.
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