Advertisement
Robotics
Tech

TikTok owner ByteDance leads funding round in Guangdong-based robotics company Narwal

  • Founded in 2016, the Dongguan, Guangdong province-based Narwal develops cleaning robots

Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
ByteDance is best known for its short video hit TikTok, which has hit some political headwinds in the US in recent months over censorship concerns. Photo: Reuters
Coco Feng

TikTok owner ByteDance recently co-led a funding round into a robotics developer as the Chinese entertainment giant continues to diversify its business.

Narwal Robotics said on Thursday it had completed a series-B funding round of nearly 100 million yuan (US$14 million), co-led by Source Code Capital and ByteDance. Some existing investors, including Infore Capital and Dami Ventures, also joined.

Founded in 2016, the Dongguan, Guangdong province-based Narwal develops cleaning robots that can wash floors, and then rinse and dry mops automatically.

Advertisement

A ByteDance spokeswoman declined to comment on the investment.

ByteDance, best known for its short video hit TikTok which has hit some political headwinds in the US in recent months over censorship and privacy concerns, has made a move into sectors including gaming, education and hardware.
Advertisement

ByteDance's investments in the robotics space also include Origitech, a Hangzhou-based developer of collaborative robots for manufacturing, and Beijing-based Yunzhi Ruantong, which provides wireless cloud robotic solutions, according to ByteDance's company registry records.

Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x