Retail robotics developer MUSE raised 1.75 billion yen from 15 investors. New lead investor ALPHA joined the round alongside existing and new backers. The Tokyo-based company builds Armo, a store robot for supermarkets, home centers, and drugstores.
Investors in the round
ALPHA led the new funding. Existing investors Incubate Fund, XTech Ventures, Spiral Capital, Toshiba Tec, Canal Ventures, and YMFG Capital added follow-on commitments. Rakuten Capital, Gogin Capital, and New Commerce Ventures joined as new investors.
Company background
MUSE was founded in April 2022 and is based in Tokyo. It sells Armo to supermarkets, home centers, and drugstores. The company has also started operating at retail stores in the United States through its local unit MUSE US Inc.
What Armo does
Armo handles multiple store tasks from a single unit. It moves products, supports online grocery picking, checks shelf conditions, promotes items, and guides shoppers. The robot also feeds shelf and store data into MUSE's Eureka Platform.
MUSE plans to use the funds to build mass production capacity, improve its AI and software, and expand in the United States. It will strengthen local sales, installation support, and maintenance through MUSE US Inc. The company is also expanding hiring across a range of roles in Japan and the United States.