Gravis Robotics, a Zurich-based startup that is turning heavyweight construction machines into autonomous robots, has raised $23 million to expand its operations in the U.K., U.S., and EU. The funding was led by IQ Capital and Zacua Ventures, with participation from Pear VC, Imad, Sunna Ventures, Armada Investment, and Holcim. Gravis plans to use the funds to build more machines and expand partnerships with construction firms.
Founded in 2022, Gravis is trying to solve one of the construction industry’s key problems—a looming talent shortage. A large proportion of skilled machine operators are nearing retirement, and not enough younger workers are entering the field to replace them, co-founder and CEO Ryan Luke Johns told Fortune.
“There’s a massive peak in demand for renewable, resilient infrastructure, which means we need more operators—and there just isn’t enough,” he said. “It’s not a sexy job. It’s not a job that any young person really wants to go into.”
Across the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., governments are building wind farms and grid infrastructure to meet clean‑energy goals, tech companies are rushing to construct huge data centers to power AI, and cities desperately need more housing. The talent shortage threatens to slow all of this, potentially driving up costs and stretching timelines on projects that power everything from renewable energy to the servers running ChatGPT.
The autonomous construction equipment market is in demand, partly driven by this surge in infrastructure development projects. The industry was valued at $8.8 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at over 7.5% annually through 2032, according to Global Market Insights.
Part of the reason construction work is becoming increasingly unattractive for humans is that operators face a high risk of injury. Johns told Fortune that Gravis’ technology aims to address such concerns by reducing risky tasks, like surveying or marking out work areas, while keeping humans in control. The company adds cameras, sensors, and AI to existing excavators, loaders, and other heavy machines so they can operate autonomously or with remote guidance via Gravis’ Slate tablet.
“Our technology is actually bringing other young people to want to do this job,” he added. “Because you’re looking at a tablet, instead of sitting behind joysticks.”
Gravis’ machines are already in use in seven countries across four continents, including Europe, the U.S., Latin America, and Asia. The company has worked with clients including Holcim, Taylor Woodrow, and HD Hyundai. In the U.K., Gravis has been conducting trials of autonomous excavation with Taylor Woodrow at Manchester Airport.
“The fastest path to autonomy is delivering productivity today,” Johns said. “By giving operators real-time 3D intelligence and the ability to shift seamlessly between autonomy and guided control, we cover more of the work, accelerate adoption, and create the data pipeline needed to learn new capabilities from the industry’s hardest jobs.”
Johns says Gravis is not aiming for fully unmanned construction sites. Instead, its systems work alongside humans, learning from complex and changing sites while boosting productivity. As demand grows for housing, renewable energy projects, and safer infrastructure, Gravis believes its AI and sensors can help contractors get more work done efficiently and safely.
“Gravis stands out, not just for its technical brilliance, but for how much it’s already achieved. The team’s thoughtful, grounded approach to autonomy—deploying real systems with real crews—has led to trusted partnerships with some of the largest global construction companies and [original equipment manufacturers] and invaluable data from time-in-field,” said Archie Muirhead, partner at IQ Capital. “This huge and unserved market is ready now for autonomy.”
The company is entering a competitive market dominated by equipment giants like Caterpillar, Komatsu, and Volvo Group, and startups including San Francisco-based Built Robotics, which has raised over $100 million since 2016. Industry adoption also faces a few barriers, including high upfront costs that smaller contractors struggle to justify and regulatory fragmentation across jurisdictions.
