Demand for infrastructure such as roads, wind farms, data centres, and housing is surging due to clean energy initiatives and AI demand. Yet worker productivity in construction has flatlined for decades, while experienced excavator operators retire without enough newcomers to fill the gap.
Gravis Robotics, a Zurich startup from ETH Zurich, tackles this by attaching AI autonomy kits to standard heavy equipment such as excavators and loaders. In essence, it lets machines handle trenching, soil grading, and stockpile management independently, lifting site output by about 30% and slashing risky near-misses for workers.
The company just secured $23 million in funding, led by IQ Capital and Zacua Ventures, with participation from Pear VC, Imad of Nesma & Partners, Sunna Ventures, Armada Investment, and strategic investor Holcim. This cash will drive sales growth in the UK, US, and EU.
Smart rack tech that adapts where others stumble
CEO and co-founder Ryan Luke Johns, a former architect with Princeton and Columbia training who grew up around construction sites, shares a Guinness World Record with CTO Dominic Jud for the largest robot-built dry-stone wall. Jud excels in hydraulic autonomy, including ETH’s 23-axis HEAP robot, while board member Prof. Marco Hutter advances reinforcement learning in robotics, claimed the DARPA Subterranean Challenge victory, and mentors multiple ventures.
Launched in late 2022 from ETH lab work, Gravis focuses on augmenting operators rather than ousting them, starting with quick wins that build to full autonomy amid workforce ageing and infrastructure booms.
Their retrofit “Rack” integrates LiDAR, cameras, GPS, and hydraulic sensors to detect soil conditions and adapt instantly for tasks like trenching or truck loading, even in mud or rubble. A Slate tablet lets operators toggle robot mode, make remote adjustments, or enhance manual work, streaming data to improve AI on real jobsites.
Unlike Caterpillar or Komatsu’s costly new autonomous models, or Built Robotics’ kits tied to specific machines despite their $100M in funding, Gravis supports over a dozen brands, including HD Hyundai Develon, CNH loaders, and Menzi Muck walkers, and has been proven on active sites in seven countries via simple dealer installs.
What’s next?
After a key UK trial at Manchester Airport, Gravis eyes a rapid rollout through OEM channels, UK rentals like Flannery, and Holcim quarries to normalise autonomy like renting a bulldozer.
The new funds support team expansion, Rack scaling, and stronger partnerships with Taylor Woodrow, HD Hyundai, and others to penetrate the $1.6 trillion earthmoving and mining sector from European tests to US megaprojects.
