36Kr Exclusive | All-terrain Robot Manufacturer with High Payload Capacity, Juewu Technology, Completes Over 100 Million Yuan in Financing, Spends Five Years in Xinjiang to Develop a "Transformer"
Author | Li Xiaoxia
In the past five years, the global robotics industry has witnessed rapid development. Innovative technologies and products have greatly transformed the world in all aspects of human life. A German team has used aerospace engineering methods to develop a modular, transformable robot with high payload capacity and all - terrain capabilities for the wild environment in the vast expanse of Xinjiang.
36Kr has exclusively learned that "Juewu Technology", a company focusing on high - payload all - terrain robots, has completed a Pre - A round of financing exceeding 100 million yuan. The round was led by Richstone Capital, with Anker Innovations and some existing shareholders participating. The funds from this round of financing will mainly be used to accelerate the R & D of robot technology, commercialization, and global layout.
"Juewu Technology" is a robotics company founded in Shenzhen in 2020. The team chose the harsh wild environment in Xinjiang and spent five years refining the products and underlying technologies. Guided by the needs of the vertical agricultural scenario in Xinjiang, they achieved large - scale application of products through a modular architecture: using the modular combination of robots, a set of modules can be quickly reconfigured into two robot forms, the "Hechu T3000" for large - scale fields and the "Jilu G3000" for orchards.
Data shows that in 2024, the global agricultural mid - production service market (mainly including agricultural mechanization services for plowing, sowing, management, and harvesting, plant protection services related to pest control, and other comprehensive services) was approximately $30 billion, with the plant protection segment accounting for about $7 billion. However, in this huge market, traditional operation models are facing dual challenges of efficiency and sustainability.
Juewu Technology first chose Xinjiang agriculture as a vertical scenario to enter, which stemmed from the stark contrast between the magnificent scenery in Xinjiang and the profound impact of existing technologies on the environment.
China leads the world in cotton yield per mu. The "1 km × 1 km" plot planning of cotton fields in Xinjiang and the integrated drip irrigation and water - fertilizer technology are unparalleled globally, creating an oasis on saline - alkaline land. However, the crude use of pesticides in current field management not only causes economic losses due to pesticide damage but also leads to soil compaction and may even contaminate groundwater. Some growers are worried that "if things go on like this, there won't be much that can be grown in the fields in twenty or thirty years."
The founding team of Juewu Technology returned to Shenzhen from Xinjiang, bringing back a clod of cotton field soil from Shihezi, Xinjiang, and the determination to first launch products in Xinjiang's agriculture.
Every March during the spring plowing season, Juewu Technology's R & D team camps in the cotton fields of Xinjiang and returns to the inland in October. The team jokingly says, "We go to Xinjiang in cotton - padded jackets and come back in cotton - padded jackets." They spent five years iterating through 5 major versions and more than 30 minor versions, accumulating over 1 million kilometers of on - site testing. Finally, they refined a differentiated product centered around a "transformable chassis + modular payloads". It is one of the few global robot companies that can achieve a pure - electric, all - terrain transformable platform with a 3 - ton payload capacity, 27 - degree continuous climbing ability, and 8 - hour endurance.
To address the problem of excessive pesticide use, Juewu Technology independently developed a precise spraying payload with a 20 - meter working width, which combines with the all - terrain platform to form the "Hechu T3000". Through 18 cameras and 111 independently controlled nozzles, it can perform precise spraying operations in both forward and reverse directions, providing "row - specific spraying" for different scenarios - spraying only on the planting rows when the plants are small in the seedling stage; "targeted spraying" - spraying only on weeds during the early weeding stage; and "variable spraying" - adjusting the spraying volume according to the pest situation and plant height in the middle and late stages, maximizing work efficiency, minimizing pesticide use, and maximizing pesticide utilization.
To address the differences in row spacing and plant height of different crops at different growth stages, Juewu Technology uses the adaptive transformation ability of the all - terrain chassis to automatically adjust the wheelbase and track between 1.0m - 2.5m, the height of the walking mechanism between 1.2m - 1.5m, and the height of the spray boom between 0.3m - 1.8m, maximizing the passability of the machine in both horizontal and vertical planes. At the same time, the proprietary rotating adaptive transformation technology of the walking mechanism, combined with 360 - degree omnidirectional movement and in - wheel drive technology, enables Z - shaped operation: moving straight to the end of the field and then traversing, and then reversing back to the beginning of the field, avoiding the problem of "crushing seedlings when turning" of traditional agricultural machinery and minimizing the movement traces of the robot in the field.
This means that one robot can be as versatile as a Swiss Army knife, covering multiple functions and scenarios, different growth stages of different crops, and different planting links by switching payloads. Compared with traditional agricultural machinery designed for single - purpose, it significantly improves efficiency.
By replacing the large - field spraying module of the "Hechu T3000" with an orchard spraying module, it becomes the "Jilu G3000". In August this year, this orchard robot made its debut in the vineyards of Changyu Winery. Its core advantages are concentrated in two dimensions: "scenario adaptation" and "precise operation".
In addition to the all - terrain platform itself being able to transform and narrow to easily move through orchards with different row spacings, the spraying module of the Jilu G3000 uses a multi - joint profiling structure, with a spray range of up to 8 meters in height and a horizontal penetration of up to 10 meters. The Jilu G3000 is equipped with 8 binocular depth cameras, which can identify fruits and pest - damaged leaves, achieving "two - way precise spraying". Each nozzle on the spray boom can be independently controlled, automatically adjusting the water consumption per mu according to the size of the fruit trees and the degree of pests and diseases. The pest control rate is 40% higher than that of manual operation. In addition, the motion platform of the "Jilu G3000" can provide full - process services such as spraying pesticides, fertilizing, automatic pruning, and soil covering and orchard cleaning by carrying different operation modules.
Commercially, the products are already in operation in several provinces in the eastern and western regions, receiving tens of millions of yuan in orders. Meanwhile, demands from overseas markets have come in on their own. It is reported that farmers and planting enterprises in Australia and Canada have contacted the company multiple times, hoping to introduce its products. These regions have a high degree of agricultural scale but face more prominent labor shortages. The autonomous cluster operation of Juewu's transformable agricultural robots can further meet the needs of large - scale farm operations.
Currently, Juewu Technology has launched its overseas expansion plan and aims to introduce the "Hechu T3000" and "Jilu G3000" to the global market in 2026.
Investors' Views
Chen Feng, Managing Partner of Richstone Capital: Richstone Capital has long been concerned about application - end innovation driven by technology. The agricultural scenario is one of the scenarios with the most urgent need and highest feasibility for machine - to - human replacement. Juewu Technology's products have been applied in orchards and farmlands in multiple provinces, verifying the reliability and economic viability of its technology and products. Juewu's robot motion platform, precise recognition algorithm, and modular, adaptive design perform outstandingly in complex field environments, and its product capabilities have reached the international advanced level. We are optimistic about its future in exporting solutions to overseas regions with high labor costs and developed large - scale agriculture.
Lu Yibo, Investor of Richstone Capital: Richstone Capital has been continuously looking for teams that can bring fully differentiated experiences and products in large - scale scenarios. Juewu Technology's equipment solves the efficiency pain points in the crop management process, and the product itself has great potential for extension and evolution.