Mecka AI Lands $60M to Teach Robots the Physical World

Mecka AI has secured $60 million in Series B funding, led by Sequoia Capital and backed by Nvidia, Microsoft’s M12, and Qualcomm. The investment will fuel the company’s mission to help robots understand and operate in the physical world. CEO and cofounder Josh Gao explains that the biggest hurdle in robotics is not hardware but data—specifically, the massive amount of real-world interaction data needed to train machines to navigate and manipulate their environments. Mecka captures everything from physical interactions to force and pressure, creating a rich dataset that goes beyond visual information. Gao argues that scaling physical AI will require major investments across sensors, infrastructure, and real-world data collection. This funding round positions Mecka to tackle those challenges head-on, with the backing of some of the biggest names in tech. The company’s approach could accelerate the deployment of robots in factories, warehouses, and homes, where they must safely and efficiently interact with objects and people. As physical AI becomes more capable, the demand for robust data pipelines and advanced sensors will only grow, making Mecka’s work increasingly critical.