Mecka AI raises $60M Series B for robot training data
Original: Robot data startup Mecka AI nabs $60M from Sequoia
Why This Matters
Robot training data is emerging as a critical bottleneck for the humanoid robotics industry.
Mecka AI, which collects human motion data to train humanoid and other robots, raised a $60M Series B led by Sequoia, with Nvidia and Microsoft's M12 also participating, at a reported $500M valuation.
Founded in 2024, Mecka AI sits at the intersection of two hot sectors: robotics and data labeling. The company pays people to record themselves performing everyday tasks—making coffee, fixing cars—while wearing body sensors and using smartphones. That motion data is then used to train humanoid and other robots. The model mirrors what Scale AI, Mercor, and Surge have done for large language models: supplying the human-generated data AI systems learn from, but applied to physical robots instead.
The $60M Series B was led by Sequoia, with participation from Nvidia, Microsoft's M12 venture fund, and undisclosed others. TechCrunch had previously reported the round was approaching at a $500M valuation. Mecka is not alone in this niche—XDOF, a rival collecting real-world data for robot training, was reportedly in talks to raise a Series B at a $1.2B valuation. Meanwhile, established data platforms Scale AI and Micro1, originally built around LLM training, are also expanding into robotics data.