Mecka AI Nears $500M Valuation as Robot Training Data Heats Up

Mecka AI is nearing a new funding round led by Sequoia Capital at a valuation of about $500 million, according to TechCrunch, which cited two people with knowledge of the deal. The round is not final, and its precise size has not been learned. Mecka AI did not respond to a request for comment, while Sequoia declined to comment.

Mecka AI collects and analyzes human motion data to train humanoid robots and other robotics systems. The startup’s approach focuses on real-world interactions, which its founders identified as a key bottleneck for general-purpose robots. That makes the company part of a broader rush to gather physical-world data for robotics models.

Mecka pays people to record themselves performing everyday tasks, including making coffee and fixing cars, using body sensors and smartphones. The company’s name is derived from “mecha,” a fictional giant robot controlled by humans. TechCrunch describes its model as an effort to do for robotics what human data companies have done for large language models.

The potential new financing comes three months after Mecka announced a $60 million round led by Framework Ventures, with participation from Menlo Ventures, SV Angel, and Kindred Ventures. Mecka AI was co-founded in 2024 by Josh Gao, Mogen Cheng, Jason Chong, and Duy Nguyen. As of early June, Gao told Fortune the startup projected it would end 2026 at a $100 million annual run rate.