Humanoid maker Sunday reaches $1.15 billion valuation to build household robots

Sunday, a robotics startup focused on developing household humanoid robots, has achieved a $1.15 billion valuation following a $165 million Series B funding round led by Coatue Management, with participation from Tiger Global, Benchmark, and Bain Capital Ventures. Founded by Tony Zhao and Cheng Chi, Sunday emerged from stealth mode late last year and has already attracted significant interest, with a waitlist of 1,000 potential customers. The company's flagship product, Memo, is designed to assist with everyday household chores such as laundry and clearing the table. The development of humanoid robots capable of reliably handling diverse objects has historically been challenging due to insufficient training data for tasks requiring delicate manipulation of items with varying weights and textures. However, advances in AI technology are now enabling new robotic solutions to address these longstanding obstacles. Sunday's progress reflects a broader resurgence in efforts to bring practical humanoid helpers into homes, leveraging improved AI to enhance robot dexterity and functionality.