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- 💵🦾 Humanoid Robotics’ $900M Takeover
💵🦾 Humanoid Robotics’ $900M Takeover
X Square Leads Physical AI Funding
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Dear Friend,
As the second week of January 2026 unfolds, Physical AI sets the tone with X Square Robot’s $140 million round, Lyte’s $107 million debut, Applied Brain Research’s edge AI chips, a $900 million acquisition by Mobileye, and Grab signaling a race to embed robotics and embodied intelligence into manufacturing, mobility, and logistics. Data centers and AI infrastructure continue to dominate, with Apollo arranging $3.5 billion to finance Valor’s $5.4 billion NVIDIA GB200-powered xAI facility, xAI planning over $20 billion for a Mississippi data center, and SoftBank and OpenAI pledging $1 billion to SB Energy’s 1.2 GW Stargate campus in Texas.
Mobility regains momentum as Motional targets commercial driverless robotaxis in Las Vegas by late 2026 after a $1 billion Hyundai-backed reboot, while Kodiak partners with Bosch on autonomous freight hardware and Rideflux raises about $13.9 million ahead of a planned KOSDAQ listing. Energy transition also accelerates as Seraya Partners’ $250 million commitment positions GB Infratech to scale toward 1 GW of renewables alongside fresh capital for Tailan New Energy, KOREALFP, and XCharge North America’s battery-backed EV depot in New York.
Stay sharp,
Vitaly Golomb |  |
Physical AI
1. Mobileye Buys Mentee Robotics for $900M to Jumpstart Humanoids
Mobileye is spending $900 million on humanoid startup Mentee Robotics to fuse its autonomous driving stack with AI-powered robots and crash into the humanoid race.
2. X Square Robot Lands $140M to Turbocharge Industrial Humanoids
Chinese embodied AI startup X Square Robot raised $140 million Series A++ to scale general-purpose AI models and Quantum robots for factories and logistics, making it a headline deal in industrial robotics.
3. Lyte Raises $107M to Give Robots Reliable Vision
Stealth startup Lyte emerged with $107 million to build integrated perception systems that help robots safely see, understand, and navigate complex real-world environments.
4. Applied Brain Research Bets on Edge Voice AI Chip
Applied Brain Research closed an oversubscribed seed to commercialize its TSP1 accelerator, bringing low-power, on-device voice AI to robots, AR gear, and medical devices.
5. Grab Snaps Up Infermove to Robotize Last-Mile Delivery
Grab acquired AI robotics firm Infermove to automate last-mile operations, tightening the loop between software, couriers, and warehouse robotics across Southeast Asia.
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Data Centers
1. Apollo Anchors $5.4B xAI–Valor Compute Deal
Apollo-led funds are providing $3.5 billion of capital for Valor’s $5.4 billion NVIDIA GB200 data center build-out to power xAI’s second facility.
2. SoftBank and OpenAI Pledge $1B to SB Energy’s AI Power Hubs
SoftBank and OpenAI are pouring $1 billion into SB Energy’s Stargate Project, including a 1.2GW AI data center complex in Texas.
3. xAI Commits $20B+ to Mississippi Mega Data Center
xAI is investing over $20 billion into a Southaven, Mississippi data center slated to go live as soon as February 2026.
4. KKR and Oak Hill Pump Nearly $2B into European Data Centers
KKR and Oak Hill are injecting about $1.9 billion into Global Technical Realty, lifting the European data center platform to a mid single-digit billion valuation.
Mobility
1. Motional Reboots Robotaxis with AI-First Push to 2026 Launch
Motional is relaunching its Las Vegas robotaxi program with an AI-first strategy, targeting fully driverless service by end of 2026 after a $1 billion Hyundai lifeline.
2. RoadGrid Raises $1.33M to Unclog India’s EV Charging
RoadGrid secured a $1.33 million pre-Series A to expand EV chargers and software across Indian cities, aiming to smooth the country’s fragmented charging experience.
3. Kodiak Taps Bosch to Industrialize Self-Driving Trucks
Kodiak is partnering with Bosch to build production-grade hardware for autonomous trucks, following its SPAC that valued the company at $2.5 billion.
4. Rideflux Secures ~$14M Pre-IPO Funding
South Korean autonomous trucking startup Rideflux raised about $13.9 million in pre-IPO funding from Atinum Investment and Korea Development Bank.
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Energy Transition
1. Seraya Partners Puts $250M Behind Korean Renewables Platform G&B Infratech
Seraya Partners is taking control of G&B Infratech with a $250 million equity commitment to grow its solar and wind portfolio from 200MW to 1GW.
2. Tailan New Energy Raises $57M to Scale Solid-State EV Batteries
Tailan New Energy closed a $57 million Series B+ to build its first mass-production line for automotive solid-state batteries backed by Changan.
3. KOREALFP Pulls In $3M for U.S. Battery Materials Push
KOREALFP raised $3 million to localize production and expand supply chains for secondary battery materials and energy storage systems in the U.S.
4. XCharge North America Builds Giant Battery-Backed EV Charging Depot in New York
XCharge North America and Energy Plus are teaming up on one of the largest battery-backed EV charging depots in the U.S., slated to go live in Q2 2026.