Singapore-based Grab Holdings Ltd. announced on December 19 that it has acquired Infermove, a Chinese AI robotics company. This move is a major step for Grab in the AI robotics space. The acquisition will help Grab improve its automated delivery services, covering both the first mile and last mile of its logistics operations.
Infermove was founded in early 2021 by Aaron Lu in a garage in Santa Clara, California. The company later opened offices in Beijing and Suzhou, China. Infermove focuses on research, development, and manufacturing of robotics.
The startup specializes in autonomous driving systems for tricky environments and mobile robots. Its products include sidewalk delivery robots that can handle objects with robotic arms and personal mobility robots.
Before the acquisition, Infermove had raised over $3.3 million and was valued at around $33 million in 2024 with its recent funding rounds suggesting a value of more than $50 million.
Suthen Thomas, Grab’s CTO, announced the acquisition at the company’s December All Hands meeting, showing off Infermove’s latest robots. He said that Infermove will continue to operate independently, with founder Aaron Lu reporting directly to him, to keep its innovation and product development on track.
“This acquisition is a crucial step in advancing automation across Grab’s delivery and mobility network. Infermove’s robotics technology and operational progress will enhance reliability, scale and efficiency for our services,” Thomas said.
In 2024, Infermove signed an investment deal with a subsidiary of Tieda Technology, a listed company, which valued Infermove at around $33 million at that time.
Before being acquired, Infermove was raising a new round of funding. Multiple investors in China’s robotics and AI sector indicated that the company’s valuation had reached at least $50 million.
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