Fangshi Robotics raises nearly ¥100M to bring AI robots to construction sites
What's the deal? Beijing-based Fangshi Robotics has closed a Series A round of nearly ¥100M (roughly $14M) to scale its construction robots and expand overseas. The round was co-led by Beijing Kechuang Yizhuang Direct Investment Fund and Hangfa Fund.
Founded in 2019, Fangshi builds autonomous robots for tasks like concrete floor levelling, wall finishing, and tile laying. It has served over 100 major Chinese construction firms — including China State Construction and China Railway Construction — across more than 500 projects covering 15 million square metres.
The fresh capital will go towards R&D, scaling production, and building out international operations.
Why now? China's construction workforce is shrinking fast. Over the past decade, the sector lost 15 million migrant workers, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Workers aged 45 and above now make up over 60% of the labour force, while those under 30 are scarce.
Policy is catching up too. China's Ministry of Housing issued guidelines in 2025 calling for wider adoption of construction robots in dangerous and physically demanding tasks — an explicit push for "machines replacing people" on job sites.
The company's approach pairs embodied intelligence with a construction-specific large language model it calls the "Argos system." The system uses lidar, multi-camera vision, and neural networks to scan a site, generate a 3D digital twin, and produce executable work plans in 15 minutes — a task that previously required experienced technicians and hours of manual surveying.
What could go wrong? Construction is notoriously fragmented and cost-sensitive. Fangshi says its equipment pays for itself within 12 months, but convincing thousands of smaller contractors and labour crews — who prioritise ease of use and low upfront cost — remains a challenge. The company offers rental and full-service models to lower adoption barriers, though scaling that approach internationally adds complexity.
Localisation is another hurdle. Building standards, materials, and regulations differ widely across markets. Fangshi follows a three-step process — market research, on-site testing, product iteration — but each new country demands time and resources.
The signal: Fangshi Robotics is still at the early growth stage, yet it already counts mature giants like China State Construction International HoldingsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and China Railway Construction Corporation among its clients — a sign that incumbents are actively pulling robotics solutions into their workflows rather than waiting. With government-backed funds like Beijing Kechuang Yizhuang and Hangfa Fund co-leading the round, the deal underscores how Chinese state-adjacent capital is lining up behind construction automation as a strategic priority, not just a venture bet.
Read more: 36kr.com
