Now, robotics is an eye-opener. Everyone talks about robots. Some people expect that robots can replace humans to perform some hard manual labor to liberate human thinking and creativity. Some people fear that robots will be smarter than human beings. This is an anti-utopian future. . For a long time, robots are more of a product of science fiction fantasy, but the author Jenny Lee (a managing partner of GGV Capital) believes that now robot technology has reached a critical point, and autonomous robots will soon appear in our lives. In the middle, and to assume part of the work of humans, she believes that now is a good time to invest in or establish a robotics company.
As a long-term investor in cutting-edge cutting-edge technology companies, I have discovered that there is now a perfect opportunity for robots to enter our mainstream life: low-cost sensors; open source robot software; 3D printing; artificial intelligence to achieve breakthroughs; The higher the social acceptance. At the same time, the amount of capital investment in the robotics field has reached a record high, and people's demand for automation technology is also growing. For entrepreneurs with an international perspective, it is an excellent opportunity to create a robotics company.
The field of investment robots may be a trend that has only recently emerged. However, in the past 30 years or so, I have been engaged in the construction and investment of autonomous equipment. The construction work was due to my university majoring in wireless communication and control system knowledge, so my first drone was designed 20 years ago. The investment work is due to the fact that as a venture capitalist, I have been committed to investing in cutting-edge technology companies for the past ten years, including China's excellent manufacturing companies and America's leading marketing and design companies. During this period, the most exciting thing for me was in 2013. I met aerospace scientist and dreamer Hu Huazhi, who was also the founder of drone company Yi Hang. Yihang Airlines developed the world’s first passenger-bearing unmanned aircraft, the Yihang 184, capable of carrying one passenger and lasting for 23 minutes. At the end of 2014, GGVCapital invested $10 million in Airline and witnessed its first manned flight test this summer. About a year later, Uber officially began the research and development of autonomous vehicles.
Robot financing in the field
According to CBInsights data, in 2015, global robotics companies received a total of US$587 million in financing, which is the highest in history and has a strong momentum of development. It is expected that the amount of financing will reach a record high in 2016. In addition to investing in robotics companies, venture capital institutions also invest in artificial intelligence technology, because artificial intelligence technology can give autonomous robots "thinking" capabilities. In the second quarter of 2016 alone, AI technology companies received more than US$1 billion in financing. American investors saw the huge potential of robotic startups. In addition to American companies, they also invested heavily in Chinese hardware startups. At the same time, Chinese investors have witnessed successful examples of global unicorns such as Huawei, Xiaomi and AAC, and are therefore eager to provide financial support for the next generation of robot hardware companies in China and overseas.
China's demand provides opportunities
At GGV Capital, we believe that the robotics industry has two sub-sectors with special perspectives: industrial robots and service robots. At present, the Chinese market is the largest potential market for the development of enterprises in these two fields. Creating next-generation robots, especially collaborative robots that work with factory floor staff, is such that start-up companies are looking for opportunities to enter China's large-scale manufacturing and service industries.
The global industrial robot technology field has matured. Among all deployed robots, industrial robots currently account for more than 80%. Industrial robots are mainly deployed in the assembly line of factories, of which mature markets include the United States, Japan, and Europe. The Chinese government strongly supports the development of automation technology and hopes to use robot modules to enhance the competitiveness of Chinese companies. At the same time, as the world's largest manufacturing economy, among the tens of thousands of manufacturing workers in China, only 36 industrial robots are currently equipped. In comparison, the number of German industrial robots for 10,000 workers is There were 292 units in Japan, 314 in Japan, and 478 in South Korea. In 2015, Chinese manufacturing companies accounted for 28% of global robot sales. In the next few years, Chinese companies will purchase hundreds of thousands of industrial robots to meet the rising labor costs. The more mature robot companies like Kuka, Fanuc, Yaskawa and ABB are the backbone of industrial robots. At the same time, Grabit (developing robots with electrostatic adsorption objects) and Rethink These rising stars, such as LifeRobotics, are also making strides and will become important competitive forces in this field.
Service robots mainly perform tasks for restaurants, hotels, offices, hospitals and families. They are still in an emerging market stage in China, but they have great potential for the development of start-up companies. Also due to rising labor costs, restaurants and hotels want to be able to deploy service robots to increase long-term profits. Service robots can transport items inside buildings, deliver foods and parcels from truck arrivals to customers' doorsteps, serve food, send drugs for inpatients in hospitals, retrieve goods in warehouses, act as a receptionist, or work with children. Interaction and so on. Although in the early stages, startups such as Fetch (Picking Robot), Savioke (Relay Hotel Robotics), and Keenon (Micro-Robots interacting with children) have realized the commercial deployment of service robots, and will provide services within the next 5 to 10 years. There will still be some breakthrough companies in the robotics field, especially in the United States and China. There will even be several "unicorn robots" companies.
Investing in robots: How can the investment return rate be broken?
As with other cutting-edge technologies, robotics technology has great potential for development, but large-scale deployment also faces obstacles and challenges. In the industrial sector, it is easy to predict potential returns, because robots have been used in the manufacturing industry for a long time, so it is very simple to weigh whether it is worth investing in robots. Factory managers can compare the current labor costs with the labor costs of deploying robots, or compare the current productivity with the deployed robot productivity. Investors can also evaluate the profitability potential of industrial robot companies based on similar indicators.
However, in the area of ​​emerging service robots, it is still not possible to clearly estimate the future rate of return. For consumer service robots such as home automation and toy robots, it must be attractive to the mass market, at the same time the price is low, and it can bring significant benefits to consumers. However, at present, most consumer service robots do not meet these three standards. They are "too expensive", "too technical", or there is no obvious need to "buy." For service robots that are used in enterprises (including offices, warehouses, hospitals, retail stores, etc.), the return on investment is relatively easy to predict. If service robots can reduce labor costs, help workers increase productivity, or increase new services that attract customers, it is easier to estimate its monetary value.
Global cooperation
Where will the next robot unicorn startup come out? The most likely scenario is that this robotic unicorn enterprise is of a global nature and fully combines and utilizes the technological superiority of China, the United States, Israel, Germany, and Japan. Since robots are essentially technical integration of hardware, sensors, and software, Chinese startups with more expertise in manufacturing and supply chain logistics are more likely to achieve global success. However, Chinese start-ups can only take advantage of engineering, marketing, and sales talents in the United States or Israel and cooperate with mature companies such as Japan and Germany as world-leading robotics economies to capture global market share. This article also applies to American robotic start-up companies. They all need to look at the world and think globally. Regardless of where the headquarters are located, the first robotic unicorn company may have operations or partners that cover the globe. As CGV recently invested in a robotics company Vincross, headquartered in Beijing but is creating a team in the United States.
At the beginning of the basic technical transfer of market share, the robotics industry provides a great opportunity for start-ups to gain market share. Next-generation industrial robots and emerging service robots will require inexpensive sensors, radar, 3D printers, language and image processing technologies, cameras, and artificial intelligence software to effectively reduce costs and facilitate large-scale, widespread applications. If entrepreneurs and venture capitalists can now focus on creating and investing in these core components, we should be able to see millions of new robots in use in many industries over the next decade.
As a long-term investor in cutting-edge cutting-edge technology companies, I have discovered that there is now a perfect opportunity for robots to enter our mainstream life: low-cost sensors; open source robot software; 3D printing; artificial intelligence to achieve breakthroughs; The higher the social acceptance. At the same time, the amount of capital investment in the robotics field has reached a record high, and people's demand for automation technology is also growing. For entrepreneurs with an international perspective, it is an excellent opportunity to create a robotics company.
The field of investment robots may be a trend that has only recently emerged. However, in the past 30 years or so, I have been engaged in the construction and investment of autonomous equipment. The construction work was due to my university majoring in wireless communication and control system knowledge, so my first drone was designed 20 years ago. The investment work is due to the fact that as a venture capitalist, I have been committed to investing in cutting-edge technology companies for the past ten years, including China's excellent manufacturing companies and America's leading marketing and design companies. During this period, the most exciting thing for me was in 2013. I met aerospace scientist and dreamer Hu Huazhi, who was also the founder of drone company Yi Hang. Yihang Airlines developed the world’s first passenger-bearing unmanned aircraft, the Yihang 184, capable of carrying one passenger and lasting for 23 minutes. At the end of 2014, GGVCapital invested $10 million in Airline and witnessed its first manned flight test this summer. About a year later, Uber officially began the research and development of autonomous vehicles.
Robot financing in the field
According to CBInsights data, in 2015, global robotics companies received a total of US$587 million in financing, which is the highest in history and has a strong momentum of development. It is expected that the amount of financing will reach a record high in 2016. In addition to investing in robotics companies, venture capital institutions also invest in artificial intelligence technology, because artificial intelligence technology can give autonomous robots "thinking" capabilities. In the second quarter of 2016 alone, AI technology companies received more than US$1 billion in financing. American investors saw the huge potential of robotic startups. In addition to American companies, they also invested heavily in Chinese hardware startups. At the same time, Chinese investors have witnessed successful examples of global unicorns such as Huawei, Xiaomi and AAC, and are therefore eager to provide financial support for the next generation of robot hardware companies in China and overseas.
China's demand provides opportunities
At GGV Capital, we believe that the robotics industry has two sub-sectors with special perspectives: industrial robots and service robots. At present, the Chinese market is the largest potential market for the development of enterprises in these two fields. Creating next-generation robots, especially collaborative robots that work with factory floor staff, is such that start-up companies are looking for opportunities to enter China's large-scale manufacturing and service industries.
The global industrial robot technology field has matured. Among all deployed robots, industrial robots currently account for more than 80%. Industrial robots are mainly deployed in the assembly line of factories, of which mature markets include the United States, Japan, and Europe. The Chinese government strongly supports the development of automation technology and hopes to use robot modules to enhance the competitiveness of Chinese companies. At the same time, as the world's largest manufacturing economy, among the tens of thousands of manufacturing workers in China, only 36 industrial robots are currently equipped. In comparison, the number of German industrial robots for 10,000 workers is There were 292 units in Japan, 314 in Japan, and 478 in South Korea. In 2015, Chinese manufacturing companies accounted for 28% of global robot sales. In the next few years, Chinese companies will purchase hundreds of thousands of industrial robots to meet the rising labor costs. The more mature robot companies like Kuka, Fanuc, Yaskawa and ABB are the backbone of industrial robots. At the same time, Grabit (developing robots with electrostatic adsorption objects) and Rethink These rising stars, such as LifeRobotics, are also making strides and will become important competitive forces in this field.
Service robots mainly perform tasks for restaurants, hotels, offices, hospitals and families. They are still in an emerging market stage in China, but they have great potential for the development of start-up companies. Also due to rising labor costs, restaurants and hotels want to be able to deploy service robots to increase long-term profits. Service robots can transport items inside buildings, deliver foods and parcels from truck arrivals to customers' doorsteps, serve food, send drugs for inpatients in hospitals, retrieve goods in warehouses, act as a receptionist, or work with children. Interaction and so on. Although in the early stages, startups such as Fetch (Picking Robot), Savioke (Relay Hotel Robotics), and Keenon (Micro-Robots interacting with children) have realized the commercial deployment of service robots, and will provide services within the next 5 to 10 years. There will still be some breakthrough companies in the robotics field, especially in the United States and China. There will even be several "unicorn robots" companies.
Investing in robots: How can the investment return rate be broken?
As with other cutting-edge technologies, robotics technology has great potential for development, but large-scale deployment also faces obstacles and challenges. In the industrial sector, it is easy to predict potential returns, because robots have been used in the manufacturing industry for a long time, so it is very simple to weigh whether it is worth investing in robots. Factory managers can compare the current labor costs with the labor costs of deploying robots, or compare the current productivity with the deployed robot productivity. Investors can also evaluate the profitability potential of industrial robot companies based on similar indicators.
However, in the area of ​​emerging service robots, it is still not possible to clearly estimate the future rate of return. For consumer service robots such as home automation and toy robots, it must be attractive to the mass market, at the same time the price is low, and it can bring significant benefits to consumers. However, at present, most consumer service robots do not meet these three standards. They are "too expensive", "too technical", or there is no obvious need to "buy." For service robots that are used in enterprises (including offices, warehouses, hospitals, retail stores, etc.), the return on investment is relatively easy to predict. If service robots can reduce labor costs, help workers increase productivity, or increase new services that attract customers, it is easier to estimate its monetary value.
Global cooperation
Where will the next robot unicorn startup come out? The most likely scenario is that this robotic unicorn enterprise is of a global nature and fully combines and utilizes the technological superiority of China, the United States, Israel, Germany, and Japan. Since robots are essentially technical integration of hardware, sensors, and software, Chinese startups with more expertise in manufacturing and supply chain logistics are more likely to achieve global success. However, Chinese start-ups can only take advantage of engineering, marketing, and sales talents in the United States or Israel and cooperate with mature companies such as Japan and Germany as world-leading robotics economies to capture global market share. This article also applies to American robotic start-up companies. They all need to look at the world and think globally. Regardless of where the headquarters are located, the first robotic unicorn company may have operations or partners that cover the globe. As CGV recently invested in a robotics company Vincross, headquartered in Beijing but is creating a team in the United States.
At the beginning of the basic technical transfer of market share, the robotics industry provides a great opportunity for start-ups to gain market share. Next-generation industrial robots and emerging service robots will require inexpensive sensors, radar, 3D printers, language and image processing technologies, cameras, and artificial intelligence software to effectively reduce costs and facilitate large-scale, widespread applications. If entrepreneurs and venture capitalists can now focus on creating and investing in these core components, we should be able to see millions of new robots in use in many industries over the next decade.
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