Slip Robotics picks up $28M for trailer loading/unloading robots

SlipBot moves automotive parts for Nissan in Mississippi. Source: Slip Robotics

For more than a century, truck trailers have been loaded and unloaded in the same way, leading to wasted time for drivers and dangerous bursts of activity for forklift operators. Slip Robotics today said it has raised Series B funding of $28 million as it offers to automate and accelerate truck loading and unloading with its SlipBots.

Truckers spend 23% of their workday idling at loading docks, while forklift operators rush to carry freight between the trailer and staging area, despite 25% of all industrial accidents taking place at the loading dock, according to Slip Robotics.

“Modernizing loading and unloading is an enormous problem waiting to be solved,” said James Hardiman, general partner at lead investor DCVC. “Slip Robotics is driving a level of change in the supply chain industry not seen since the containerization of sea freight. Their solutions are not just theoretical—they work, and they deliver value and scale today.”

Slip Robotics won a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for its development of SlipBot.

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SlipBots cut loading times to minutes

“The need for greater supply chain automation has never been more critical,” said Slip Robotics. “Labor shortages, rising operational costs, and the demand for faster delivery times are all driving a shift toward smarter, automated solutions.”

SlipBot enables the automated loading and unloading of any truck at any dock, with any type of freight, in any trailer, and with zero Wi-Fi or IT integration required, claimed the Norcross, Ga.-based company. The robots can cut loading times from 30 to 60 minutes to just five, it added.

Slip Robotics asserted that its systems, which it offers in a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) network, can 10x improvements in safety, speed, and savings across the supply chain. It said this broad applicability and ease of deployment has fueled Slip’s rapid adoption and expansion with customers.

Companies across North America are using SlipBots in 24/7 production operations, including John Deere, GE Appliances, Nissan, and other manufacturers and logistics operators, said Slip.

SlipBot automates trailer loading and loading for Valeo in Indiana. Source: Slip Robotics

Valeo increases throughput, safety

Valeo, a multinational automotive parts manufacturer, used SlipBots to reduce its trailer load/unload times. It said 26 SlipBots seamlessly integrated into its operations, enabling employees to increase dock throughput by 6x, reduce forklift traffic by 8x, and increase safety at the loading dock.

“Slip Robotics makes our lives easier and proves that automation doesn’t have to be difficult,” said Lou D’Allura, productivity manager at Valeo. “It’s the real deal.”

“Slip’s solutions don’t just represent the future—they solve today’s challenges,” added Chris Smith, CEO of Slip Robotics. “We’re moving freight faster, more safely, and at a lower cost for industry-leading brands across the supply chain.”

Slip Robotics invests in staffers, R&D

DCVC, a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm specializing in deep tech, led Slip Robotics’ Series B round. The company has raised $45 million to date from investors such as Eve Atlas, Tech Square Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Overline, and Pathbreaker Ventures, all of which participated in its latest financing.

Slip Robotics said the funding will help it “to accelerate change in one of the most labor-intensive parts of logistics.” The company plans to expand its team to support rapid growth, increase deployments, and enhance its product offerings.

In addition, Slip said it is investing in continued commercial growth along with research and development with a focus on delivering greater value to customers. Other developers of truck loading and unloading robots include Boston Dynamics, Dexterity, Mujin, Pickle Robot, and Rightbot Technologies, and more.

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