Pudu Robotics
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Last reviewed
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| Pudu Robotics | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Full name | Shenzhen Pudu Technology Co., Ltd. |
| Chinese name | 普渡科技 (Pudu Keji) |
| Founded | January 2016 |
| Founder | Felix Zhang (Zhang Tao) |
| Headquarters | Shenzhen, China |
| Industry | Robotics, Artificial intelligence |
| Products | Service delivery robots, commercial cleaning robots, industrial delivery robots, humanoid robots |
| Robots shipped | 120,000+ units |
| Operating regions | 80+ countries |
| Employees | ~500 |
| Total funding | ~$192 million |
| Key investors | Sequoia Capital China, Meituan, Tencent |
| Website | pudurobotics.com |
Pudu Robotics (branded as PUDU; Chinese: 普渡科技) is a Chinese robotics company headquartered in Shenzhen that designs, manufactures, and deploys commercial service robots for the food and beverage, hospitality, healthcare, retail, industrial, and cleaning sectors. Founded in January 2016 by Felix Zhang, Pudu Robotics has grown into one of the world's largest commercial service robot manufacturers, with over 120,000 robots shipped to more than 80 countries and regions as of 2025.[1][2] The company's stated mission is "empowering easier work and better life through AI and robotics," and its long-term vision is to build intelligent robotics infrastructure serving 10 billion people.[3]
Pudu Robotics is best known for its cat-shaped BellaBot food delivery robot, which became a global sensation after Japan's Skylark restaurant group ordered 3,000 units for deployment across more than 2,000 stores.[4] Starting from restaurant delivery, the company has expanded into commercial cleaning, building logistics, industrial material transport, quadruped robots, and, most recently, humanoid robots through its Pudu X-Lab division.[5]
Pudu Robotics was founded in January 2016 in Shenzhen, China, by Felix Zhang (Zhang Tao). Zhang studied mechanical engineering as an undergraduate before completing a Master of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) from 2007 to 2009.[6] During his graduate studies, Zhang became intrigued by the potential for robots to assist in repetitive, labor-intensive commercial tasks. After gaining experience in robotics research and development, he founded Pudu with the initial goal of building food delivery robots for restaurants.[7]
The company's first product, the PuduBot, was launched in 2017 and won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award "Best of the Best" that same year, an uncommon achievement for a startup's debut product.[8] PuduBot was an open-tray delivery robot designed for restaurant environments, capable of autonomous navigation between kitchen and dining tables. The award brought early recognition and helped Pudu secure initial customers in the Chinese restaurant industry.
In 2019, Pudu Robotics entered into a strategic partnership with Haidilao, one of China's largest hot pot restaurant chains, marking the company's first large-scale deployment deal and establishing its credibility in the food service sector.[3]
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated demand for contactless service robots. Pudu Robotics donated several hundred robots to hospitals, isolation wards, quarantine facilities, and public transit hubs across China to help combat the virus.[9] The company also released the Puductor 2, a disinfection robot equipped with ultrasonic dry mist and UV-C disinfection technology, capable of killing 99.99% of bacteria and viruses including COVID-19. The disinfectant was atomized into particles smaller than 10 micrometers, allowing them to remain suspended in the air for extended periods to ensure thorough sterilization.[10]
During this period, the company launched several new products that broadened its portfolio beyond restaurant delivery. The BellaBot, introduced in 2020, became Pudu's breakout product with its distinctive cat-like face, interactive expressions, and advanced 3D perception using three RGBD cameras.[11] The HolaBot, designed for dish collection and heavy-load transport, featured a 120-liter waterproof cabin, 60 kg carrying capacity, and an omnidirectional six-microphone array for voice command recognition.[12]
In 2022, Pudu released the PUDU D1, its first quadruped (four-legged) delivery robot, featuring wholly proprietary core components including high-performance joint modules and a master control board with a 16-core CPU and AI computing power of up to 30 TOPS.[13] The same year, the SwiftBot was launched internationally at the National Restaurant Association Show, offering omnidirectional perception with three RGBD cameras, two RGB cameras, and two LiDAR units.[14]
By the end of 2022, Pudu had shipped approximately 56,000 robots globally and had established a presence in over 60 countries.
In 2023, Pudu announced a strategic partnership with SoftBank Robotics to expand the deployment of Pudu's delivery and cleaning robots across Japan, leveraging SoftBank's market expertise and distribution channels.[15] By October 2023, the company reported nearly 70,000 units shipped, making it China's number one service robot exporter.[16]
Pudu also began its pivot toward humanoid and embodied intelligence robots in 2024, establishing the Pudu X-Lab as its dedicated humanoid robotics R&D division. The X-Lab released three products in rapid succession: the PUDU D7 semi-humanoid robot in September 2024, the PUDU DH11 dexterous hand in late 2024, and the PUDU D9 full-sized bipedal humanoid robot in December 2024.[5][17]
In March 2025, the company unveiled the FlashBot Arm, a semi-humanoid embodied AI service robot built on the FlashBot Max platform with the addition of two 7-degree-of-freedom robotic arms and the DH11 dexterous hands.[18] That same month, Pudu expanded its North American presence by establishing a new US headquarters in Santa Clara, California, alongside an East Coast fulfillment center in Hamilton, New Jersey, supplementing its existing Los Angeles fulfillment center.[19]
As of 2025, Pudu Robotics has shipped over 120,000 units globally, with overseas sales accounting for more than 80% of total revenue, up from just 8% in 2019.[2]
Pudu Robotics organizes its product lineup into four major categories: service delivery robots, commercial cleaning robots, industrial delivery robots, and general embodied AI solutions (including humanoid robots).
| Robot | Year | Type | Key features | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PuduBot | 2017 | Open-tray delivery | Autonomous navigation, Red Dot Best of the Best award winner | N/A |
| PuduBot 2 | 2019 | Open-tray delivery | Extended autonomy, improved navigation | N/A |
| BellaBot | 2020 | Food delivery | Cat-like face, 3D perception (3 RGBD cameras), interactive expressions, 0.5s obstacle response | 40 kg (4 trays at 10 kg each) |
| HolaBot | 2020 | Dish collection / heavy delivery | 120L waterproof cabin, pager function, 6-mic voice array, IPX5 rating | 60 kg |
| KettyBot | 2021 | Delivery + advertising | Built-in advertising screen, voice interaction, narrow-space navigation | 30 kg |
| SwiftBot | 2022 | Versatile delivery | 260-degree front detection, automatic electric door, projection interaction, IoT connectivity | 35 kg |
| Robot | Year | Type | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| FlashBot | 2021 | Multi-floor building delivery | Elevator integration (KONE, OTIS), IoT connectivity, cloud-based elevator control, VSLAM+ navigation |
| FlashBot Max | 2024 | Semi-outdoor building delivery | Indoor/semi-outdoor navigation, enhanced VSLAM+, weather-resistant |
| FlashBot Arm | 2025 | Semi-humanoid building delivery | Dual 7-DOF arms, DH11 dexterous hands, 10.1-inch touchscreen, 2m operational reach |
| Robot | Year | Type | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUDU CC1 | 2023 | 4-in-1 commercial cleaner | Sweeping, scrubbing, vacuuming, mopping; VSLAM+ and LiDAR; Red Dot Award 2023 |
| PUDU CC1 Pro | 2024 | AI-enhanced commercial cleaner | Rear AI camera for real-time quality monitoring, stain detection, heatmap generation |
| PUDU SH1 | 2024 | Professional scrubber dryer | iF Design Award 2025 winner |
| PUDU MT1 | 2025 | AI-powered industrial sweeper | AI camera for real-time trash recognition, deep learning, up to 100,000 m2 coverage; Red Dot Award 2025 |
| PUDU BG1 | 2025 | Large-scale cleaning | AI-native architecture for large commercial spaces |
| Robot | Year | Type | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUDU T300 | 2025 | Industrial AMR | 300 kg payload, production-line material transport, CE-MD/CE-RED certified, Red Dot Award 2025 |
| Robot | Year | Type | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUDU D1 | 2022 | Quadruped delivery robot | Proprietary joint modules, 16-core CPU, 30 TOPS AI computing, auto-levelling delivery box |
| PUDU D5 | 2025 | Quadruped inspection robot | Nvidia Orin chip, 4 fisheye cameras, dual LiDAR, 30 kg payload, all-terrain/all-weather operation |
| Robot | Year | Type | Key specifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| PUDU D7 | 2024 | Semi-humanoid | 165 cm tall, 45 kg, 30 DOF (50 with dexterous hand), 8-hour battery, 2 m/s max speed |
| PUDU D9 | 2024 | Bipedal humanoid | 170 cm tall, 65 kg, 42 DOF, 352 Nm max joint torque, 20 kg payload, bipedal walking at 2 m/s |
| FlashBot Arm | 2025 | Semi-humanoid service robot | Dual 7-DOF arms, DH11 hands, 8-hour runtime, RGBD/LiDAR/panoramic sensors |
| Robot | Year | Type | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puductor | 2020 | UV + mist disinfection | Ultrasonic dry mist atomization, autonomous navigation |
| Puductor 2 | 2020 | UV-C + mist disinfection | Dual disinfection modes (UV-C and ultrasonic dry mist), 99.99% sterilization rate, sub-10 micrometer particles |
Pudu Robotics has built its technology platform around three foundational pillars: mobility, manipulation, and artificial intelligence. The company holds over 1,000 authorized patents worldwide, and its founder Felix Zhang personally holds nearly 300 granted patents as of 2023.[3][7]
The company's proprietary PUDU SLAM positioning system supports both visual SLAM (VSLAM) and laser SLAM, enabling robots to build accurate 3D maps and navigate autonomously in complex, dynamic environments. The enhanced VSLAM+ technology, introduced with the FlashBot line, combines visual and LiDAR data for improved positioning accuracy and faster map building.[20]
The PUDU DH11 is an 11-degree-of-freedom, five-fingered dexterous hand with 12 tactile sensing areas. Designed to replicate human hand movements, the DH11 enables robots to perform tasks such as pressing buttons, grasping objects, opening doors, and manipulating delicate items. The hand is integrated into the PUDU D9 humanoid robot and the FlashBot Arm.[17][18]
Pudu has pioneered what it calls the "One Brain, Multiple Embodiments" architecture, a unified AI control system that can be deployed across different robot form factors, from wheeled delivery robots to bipedal humanoids. This approach allows the company to reuse and refine its AI software stack across its entire product lineup, reducing development costs and accelerating time-to-market for new platforms.[3]
Pudu X-Lab is the company's advanced R&D division focused on humanoid robotics and embodied intelligence. Established as an internal division, the X-Lab is responsible for developing Pudu's next-generation robots that go beyond wheeled platforms to include legged and humanoid form factors.
The X-Lab released three products in 2024 alone: the PUDU D7 semi-humanoid robot (September 2024), the PUDU DH11 dexterous hand (late 2024), and the PUDU D9 bipedal humanoid (December 2024). This rapid product cadence demonstrates Pudu's strategy of leveraging its existing commercial robotics expertise, particularly in navigation, sensor integration, and mass manufacturing, to enter the humanoid robotics market.[5]
Pudu's humanoid strategy is notably grounded in commercial viability. Rather than pursuing general-purpose humanoids for distant future applications, the company targets the hospitality, healthcare, retail, and cleaning industries where it already has established customer relationships and distribution channels. The PUDU D7, for example, is designed for tasks like elevator operation, item transport, and sorting in buildings, while the PUDU D9 is positioned for more complex scenarios requiring bipedal locomotion and dual-arm manipulation.[5][17]
Pudu Robotics has raised approximately $192 million across multiple funding rounds since its founding.
| Round | Date | Amount | Lead investor(s) | Notable participants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angel | 2016 | Undisclosed | N/A | N/A |
| Series A | 2018 | Undisclosed | N/A | N/A |
| Series B | July 2020 | $15 million | Meituan | N/A |
| Series B+ | August 2020 | $15 million | Sequoia Capital China | Meituan, Everwin Investment, QC Capital, Chengbohan Fund |
| Series C1 | May 2021 | ~$78 million | Tencent, Meituan, Sequoia Capital China | Multiple co-investors |
| Series C2 | September 2021 | ~$77 million | Meituan, Greater Bay Area Homeland Development Fund | Shenzhen Investment Holdings, Sequoia Capital China |
| Series C3 | February 2023 | $15 million | Puhua Capital | N/A |
| Series C4 | May 2023 | Hundreds of millions of yuan | Undisclosed | N/A |
The combined C1 and C2 rounds raised nearly $155 million in total, representing the largest capital infusion in the company's history. Key institutional investors include Sequoia Capital China, Meituan (the Chinese food delivery giant), Tencent, Greater Bay Area Homeland Development Fund, Shenzhen Investment Holdings, QC Capital, and Puhua Capital.[21][22][23][24]
Pudu Robotics has expanded from a Shenzhen startup into a globally distributed organization with infrastructure across Asia, North America, and Europe.
The company maintains dual global headquarters in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, with three R&D centers located in Shenzhen, Chengdu, and Hong Kong. R&D staff account for more than 50% of the company's workforce.[3]
Pudu operates three manufacturing facilities in the Chinese provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi, providing the production capacity needed to support its global shipments of over 120,000 robots.[3]
The company has established five overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the United States, and the Netherlands. In March 2025, Pudu opened its US headquarters in Santa Clara, California, along with a fulfillment center in Hamilton, New Jersey, joining its existing Los Angeles fulfillment center. The US operations launched with an initial team of over 30 professionals and a service network of more than 300 local distributors and providers.[19]
Pudu's products are deployed across more than 80 countries and 600 cities, serving ten major industries including food and beverage, retail, hospitality, healthcare, entertainment, industrial manufacturing, education, real estate, and public services. Overseas sales now account for over 80% of total revenue, a dramatic shift from 8% in 2019. The company works through a global network of more than 700 distributor partners.[2][16]
Pudu's most prominent deployment is with the Skylark Group, Japan's largest family restaurant chain. Skylark ordered 3,000 BellaBots for deployment across more than 2,000 stores, setting an industry record for a single order of service robots. The BellaBot's cat-like design resonated particularly well with Japanese consumers, generating extensive social media attention and enhancing Skylark's brand visibility.[4]
In October 2023, Pudu announced a strategic partnership with SoftBank Robotics to combine SoftBank's expertise in the Japanese market with Pudu's product and technology advantages in delivery and cleaning robots. The partnership expanded Pudu's reach across Japan's hospitality and food service industries.[15]
Pudu's 2019 partnership with Haidilao, one of China's most recognized hot pot restaurant brands, was an early milestone that validated the company's technology in high-volume, fast-paced dining environments.[3]
In 2023, Pudu collaborated with Nippon Otis to successfully integrate the FlashBot delivery robot with elevators in Japan, demonstrating the robot's ability to autonomously call and ride elevators for multi-floor deliveries.[25]
Pudu Robotics has received numerous international design and technology awards throughout its history.
| Year | Award | Product |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Red Dot Design Award "Best of the Best" | PuduBot |
| 2023 | Red Dot Award for Product Design | PUDU CC1 |
| 2025 | iF Design Award | PUDU SH1 |
| 2025 | Red Dot Award for Product Design | PUDU MT1 |
| 2025 | Red Dot Award for Product Design | PUDU T300 |
The company's consistent recognition across Red Dot and iF awards reflects its emphasis on industrial design as a differentiator in the commercial robotics market.[8][26][27]
Felix Zhang (Zhang Tao) is the founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics. Zhang holds a Master of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He has over 16 years of R&D experience in robotics and personally holds nearly 300 granted patents worldwide. Zhang has been recognized by HKUST's Entrepreneurship Center as a notable alumni entrepreneur.[6][7]