Japanese automation startup Mujin announced on December 2 that it has secured ¥36.4 billion (approximately $234 million) in the first close of its Series D funding round. The financing consists of both equity and debt.
Mujin was founded in 2011 by CEO Issei Takino, formerly of ISCAR, and CTO Rosen Diankov, who earned his Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon University. The company develops general-purpose controllers for industrial robots, as well as related hardware and software.
Mujin’s Universal Robot Controllers Gain Industry Attention
As many developed economies face an inevitable decline in their working-age populations, automation has become one of the key requirements for companies to maintain competitiveness.
Against this backdrop, Mujin has developed intelligent control software for industrial robots and advanced 3D vision technologies. At the core of its competitive advantage is its robot controller technology.
In recent years, “teachless” robots—capable of performing tasks without the traditional teaching process and handling irregular operations that conventional teaching cannot address—have been emerging. However, the technologies and mechanisms behind teachless systems are not standardized or widely shared among manufacturers.
To address this, Mujin has developed teachless robot systems and controllers that are compatible with major robot manufacturers. Its solution connects Mujin’s controllers and 3D vision systems to manufacturers’ original robots and controllers.
Mujin also develops its own proprietary hardware and software. In particular, the company highlights its track record of supplying AGVs to companies within the Toyota Group as a key selling point. In Japan, even companies outside the automotive industry frequently adopt the Toyota Production System (TPS) as a model for operational efficiency, making Toyota Group customers a powerful credibility signal.
Toyota Group companies that have adopted Mujin’s AGVs include Toyota Motor Corporation’s main plants, Toyota Motor Kyushu, and Aisin.
In recent years, Mujin has been building an integrated optimization framework centered on its unified automation platform, MujinOS, which seamlessly connects robot control, simulation, and on-site operations. As described below, the newly raised capital will primarily be used to expand the MujinOS product lineup.
New Investors Include NTT Group and Global Funds
Of the funds raised in the first close of the Series D round, ¥20.9 billion (approximately $135 million) came from equity financing, while ¥15.5 billion (approximately $100 million) was raised through debt from financial institutions. With this round, Mujin’s total cumulative funding has reached approximately ¥59.6 billion (about $384 million).
New equity investors include NTT, NTT Docomo Business, Qatar Investment Authority, and Salesforce Ventures. Existing investors such as Pegasus Tech Ventures and Accenture also participated.
Mujin stated that the newly raised funds will position MujinOS as the core of its long-term growth strategy and will be used to expand the MujinOS product portfolio.
Takino, co-founder and CEO of Mujin, commented:
“By productizing world-class industrial automation technologies and accelerating global expansion through our partner strategy, we will solve labor shortages around the world. We aim to make MujinOS a global standard and grow Mujin into a company that can compete and win on the global stage.”
CTO and co-founder Diankov added that the funding will accelerate the company’s transition to a scalable, product-led business model, enabling Mujin to deliver cloud services, real-time digital twin technologies, and enterprise-grade automation to customers across all major markets.
