Ati Robotics sees an opening as U.S. bans hit China-made robots

Robotics startups are pulling in record funding, according to PitchBook. At the same time, new U.S. restrictions on Chinese-made advanced robots are putting a spotlight on how much the sector still depends on Chinese hardware.

PitchBook says both deal volume and investment dollars are at peak levels, and a big share of that money is going to software and autonomy rather than full-stack hardware. That leaves smaller U.S. companies that rely on Chinese parts or Chinese manufacturers in an exposed spot after the U.S. Federal Communications Commission banned new Chinese-made advanced robots, including humanoids, over security, surveillance, and data-theft concerns.

Ati Robotics, founded in 2017, started out making motors for self-driving cars, then moved into warehouse tuggers and pallet movers. The company says its 10,000-pound machines use very few Chinese parts. With lower-cost R&D in Bangalore, India, and access to India’s EV supply chain, Ati Robotics says it now has hundreds of robots deployed across more than 50 customers and plans to roll out a heavy-bin humanoid later this year.

Still, Ati Robotics isn’t completely free of China. Its humanoid still relies on Chinese harmonic drives, frameless motors, and battery cells, though some of that sourcing could shift to South Korea or Japan. China also still shows up in PCBs and mature chips, and it accounted for 54% of global industrial robot installations in 2024.

If you follow robotics startups, keep an eye on this U.S.-China split because it could improve security while also driving up costs and slowing automation. You can track updates from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and PitchBook on their platforms.