Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Swiss construction technology company Gravis Robotics has raised $200 million in a Series A investment from Japan’s SoftBank Group, marking a major vote of confidence in Switzerland’s growing physical AI ecosystem.
Announced on August 17, the investment will support Gravis Robotics in accelerating the global deployment of its autonomous technology for heavy construction machinery. According to the Zurich-based company, the transaction represents the largest Series A financing in the history of construction robotics.
Founded in 2022 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich, Gravis develops physical AI systems capable of transforming conventional heavy machinery, such as excavators, into intelligent and autonomous equipment. At the core of its technology is the Gravis Rack, an autonomous control kit that can be installed across machinery from different manufacturers. The system has already been deployed on equipment produced by companies including Caterpillar, John Deere, Hitachi, Sumitomo and Yanmar, among others.
Rather than operating exclusively in controlled environments, Gravis’ technology is designed for complex construction sites, where machines must continuously adapt to changing terrain, soil conditions and unexpected obstacles. The company says its systems can increase jobsite productivity by up to 30% compared with peak manual operation, while also improving safety.
The technology addresses a growing global challenge: a shortage of skilled workers in construction at a time when demand for new infrastructure, energy networks, data centers and housing continues to rise.
The investment also highlights the increasing links between Japanese capital and Switzerland’s deep-tech ecosystem.
“Physical AI is central to SoftBank’s vision for the next phase of AI,” said Dai Sakata, Managing Director of SoftBank Group, adding that Gravis is bringing AI-powered autonomy to construction and helping build smarter and more efficient infrastructure.
With its systems already deployed across four continents, Gravis plans to use the new capital to expand its workforce and accelerate the international rollout of its autonomous construction technology.
The partnership brings together two areas in which Switzerland and Japan have developed particularly strong capabilities: advanced engineering and robotics on the Swiss side, and large-scale technology investment and industrial deployment on the Japanese side.
Text: SCCIJ based on press material of Gravis Robotics
