Mecka AI reportedly nears funding at a $500 million valuation

Mecka AI is reportedly nearing a funding round led by Sequoia Capital at a valuation of about $500 million. TechCrunch cites two people familiar with the deal. The terms could change; Mecka did not respond to its request for comment, and Sequoia declined to comment.

The company collects and analyses human motion data for robotics training. It pays people to record everyday tasks, such as making coffee or fixing cars, with body sensors and smartphones. Those recordings give robots examples of physical work to learn from.

Before a robot can do the job

This is a different supply problem from collecting text off the internet. A robot needs examples of how people move through a task, including what their hands do and what they see. Mecka gathers that material for humanoid robots and other physical systems. Their education still involves people doing the chores.

The reported financing comes roughly three months after Mecka’s previous raise. The amount of new money being discussed has not been disclosed, nor has the company published its customer list. A valuation is the proposed price of the business, not the size of this cheque.