---
title: "Actuator startups"
description: "Venture-backed robot actuator and motor startups compared by money raised and reported production volume."
canonical: https://actuatorlist.com/startups
last-updated: 2026-11-01T14:05:43.000Z
---
# Actuator startups

Funded companies building robot actuators and motors, sized by disclosed money raised (equity rounds and grants) and by company-reported production. A + after a figure means some rounds are undisclosed, so the sum is a floor.

| Company | HQ | Country | Segment | Drive | Raised | Round | Lead | Reported output | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Encos](https://www.encos.cn/) | Nanjing, Jiangsu | 🇨🇳 China | Joint modules | Planetary, Harmonic, Cycloidal ([Gasgoo, Jan 2026](https://autonews.gasgoo.com/articles/news/ces-2026-encos-showcases-three-core-products-enabling-mass-production-of-humanoid-robots-2008894532819447809)) | $58.6M+ | Series B, >¥300M (Sep 2026) | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | [Pedaily, Sep 2026](https://news.pedaily.cn/202609/569015.shtml), [Rongcai, Jun 2025](https://www.rccaijing.com/news-7340293827615978793.html) |
| [Quanzhibo](http://www.motorevo.cn/) | Wuxi, Jiangsu | 🇨🇳 China | Joint modules | Planetary, Harmonic, Cycloidal ([36Kr](https://www.36kr.com/p/3879589408977155)) | $57.4M+ | Series B, several hundred million ¥ (Sep 2026) | Addor Capital | Undisclosed | [Beijing News, Sep 2026](https://www.bjnews.com.cn/detail/1788600417129849.html), [Beijing Daily, Apr 2026](https://xinwen.bjd.com.cn/content/s69e752b6e4b0687a289461f5.html), [Pedaily, Nov 2025](https://news.pedaily.cn/202511/556972.shtml), [NBD, Jul 2026](https://www.mrjjxw.com/articles/2026-07-03/4451861.html) |
| [ZeroErr](https://www.zeroerr.cn/) | Shenzhen, Guangdong | 🇨🇳 China | Joint modules | Harmonic ([A3, eRob T-type](https://www.automate.org/products/zeroerr-global-limited/erob-rotary-actuator-t-type)) | $30.1M+ | Series C++, several hundred million ¥ (Jul 2026) | Cowin Capital | Undisclosed | [IT Home, Jul 2026](https://www.ithome.com/0/975/925.htm), [Pedaily, Mar 2026](https://news.pedaily.cn/202603/561304.shtml) |
| [Inspire Robots](https://www.inspire-robots.com/) | Beijing | 🇨🇳 China | Linear and screw | Linear servo ([Inspire selection guide](https://cdn.robotshop.com/rbm/62a1587c-c4cd-47cc-b64f-c077e2ad3775/7/7660deb4-9a9f-4227-a29b-38f4f2100034/ad0450f8_inspire-robots-products-selection-guide-v14-.pdf)) | $28.8M+ | Series C1 and C2, several hundred million ¥ (Feb 2026) | Beijing AI Industry Investment Fund | Undisclosed | [Pedaily, Feb 2026](https://news.pedaily.cn/202602/561144.shtml), [Pedaily, Sep 2024](https://news.pedaily.cn/202409/540834.shtml) |
| Nousbot | Shenzhen, Guangdong | 🇨🇳 China | Linear and screw | Roller screw ([36Kr](https://eu.36kr.com/zh/p/3713617026199688)) | $27.7M+ | Series A+, just under ¥100M (Aug 2026) | Shunwei Capital | Undisclosed | [Pedaily, Mar 2026](https://news.pedaily.cn/202603/561493.shtml), [Pedaily, Aug 2026](https://news.pedaily.cn/202608/567646.shtml) |
| [Juxie](https://www.juxiedrive.com/) | Wuxi, Jiangsu | 🇨🇳 China | Joint modules | Harmonic ([Juxie brochure, Jul 2025](https://www.worldrobotconference.com/profile/robot/download/2025/07/11/%E5%B7%A8%E8%9F%B9%E6%99%BA%E8%83%BD%E9%A9%B1%E5%8A%A8%E7%A7%91%E6%8A%80%E6%9C%89%E9%99%90%E5%85%AC%E5%8F%B8%E4%BA%BA%E5%BD%A2%E6%9C%BA%E5%99%A8%E4%BA%BA%E7%BB%84%E4%BB%B6%E4%BA%A7%E5%93%81%E6%89%8B%E5%86%8C_20250711105728A058.pdf)) | $14.9M+ | Series A+, >¥100M (Oct 2026) | Huatai Zijin | Undisclosed | [10jqka, Oct 2026](https://news.10jqka.com.cn/20261010/c680548800.shtml), [STAR Market Daily, Oct 2026](https://www.chinastarmarket.cn/detail/2501356) |
| [Aster](https://www.ast-aster.biz/) | Yokote, Akita | 🇯🇵 Japan | Motors | Not sourced | $11.7M+ | ¥500M (Sep 2021); ¥1,011M NEDO grant (FY2023); Akari stake (Sep 2026), amount undisclosed | Akari | Undisclosed | [Aster, Sep 2021](https://www.ast-aster.biz/en/news-1/%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%80%85%E5%89%B2%E5%BD%93%E5%A2%97%E8%B3%87%E3%81%AB%E3%82%88%E3%82%8B5%E5%84%84%E5%86%86%E3%81%AE%E8%B3%87%E9%87%91%E8%AA%BF%E9%81%94%E3%82%92%E5%AE%9F%E6%96%BD), [NEDO DTSU](https://www.nedo.go.jp/activities/startups/company03.html), [Nikkei, Sep 2026](https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOUC26B5L0W6A820C2000000/), [Nikkei xTECH, Sep 2026](https://xtech.nikkei.com/atcl/nxt/column/18/03727/090400005/) |
| [Atlas Motion](https://atlasmotion.com/) | Long Beach, CA | 🇺🇸 United States | Motors | Not sourced | $11.5M | Series A (Aug 2026) | Greycroft | 10,000 / mo | [FinSMEs, Aug 2026](https://www.finsmes.com/2026/08/atlas-motion-raises-11-5m-in-funding.html), [Forbes, Aug 2026](https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2026/08/06/defense-startup-ai-turns-2-months-of-engineering-into-20-minutes/) |
| [Westmag](https://www.westmag.com/) | South San Francisco, CA | 🇺🇸 United States | Motors | Not sourced | $11M | Seed (closed 2025, announced Jun 2026) | Andreessen Horowitz | Undisclosed | [Business Wire, Jun 2026](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260602552448/en/Westmag-Emerges-With-$11-Million-Seed-Led-By-Andreessen-Horowitz-to-Build-Americas-Drone-Motor-and-Robot-Actuator-Industry) |
| [Bonsystems](https://www.bonsystems.com/) | Changwon | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Reducers | Cycloidal ([Venture Square, 2025](https://www.venturesquare.net/970748/)) | $10.4M+ | KRW 14.5B RCPS (Jun 2026) | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | [Newsis, Jun 2026](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20260611_0003665144), [Bonsystems](https://www.bonsystems.com/media-center/press-release/secured-investment/) |
| [MetisMotion](https://www.metismotion.com/) | Munich | 🇩🇪 Germany | Linear and screw | Not sourced | $9.1M+ | EIC grant, €2.47M (May 2025) | HTGF | Undisclosed | [CORDIS](https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101218714), [HTGF, Jan 2022](https://www.htgf.de/en/htgf-financing-metismotion-2/), [HTGF, May 2021](https://www.htgf.de/en/htgf-financing-metismotion/) |
| [RobStride](https://www.robstride.com/) | Beijing | 🇨🇳 China | Joint modules | QDD ([RobStride 02 listing](https://pakronics.com.au/products/robstride-02-qdd-17n-m-integrated-actuator-module-dual-encoders-ss100064875)) | $2.8M+ | Pre-A and Pre-A+, tens of millions of ¥ (Sep 2025) | HongShan | Undisclosed | [36Kr, Sep 2025](https://www.36kr.com/p/3459194287216261), [IT Home, Sep 2024](https://www.ithome.com/0/795/915.htm) |
| [Artimus Robotics](https://www.artimusrobotics.com/) | Boulder, CO | 🇺🇸 United States | Soft actuators | Not sourced | $1.3M+ | Army STTR Phase II, $1.15M (Jun 2022) | ARIA | Undisclosed | [SBIR.gov](https://www.sbir.gov/awards/198231), [ARIA, FY25/26 Q2](https://aria.org.uk/media/0usfmzui/aria-end-of-q2-fy25-26.pdf) |
| [Index Robotics](https://index-robotics.com/) | Gyeonggi | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Joint modules | Not sourced | $1.1M | Seed, KRW 1.5B (Feb 2026) | Futureplay | Undisclosed | [Wowtale, Feb 2026](https://en.wowtale.net/2026/02/20/233542/), [Futureplay](https://futureplay.co/our-companies/2079) |
| [MAB Robotics](https://www.mabrobotics.pl/) | Poznań | 🇵🇱 Poland | Joint modules | QDD, Harmonic, Direct drive ([MAB actuators](https://www.mabrobotics.pl/ma-actuators)) | $0.26M+ | PLN 1M (2020) | YouNick Mint | Undisclosed | [MamStartup, 2022](https://mamstartup.pl/roboty-kroczace-moga-zapobiegac-awariom-w-infrastrukturze-podziemnej-miast-oraz-poprawic-bezpieczenstwo-w-kopalniach-jakub-bartoszek-mab-robotics/), [NCBR](https://www.gov.pl/web/ncbr/bridge-alfa-by-younick-mint-sp-z-oo-sp-k) |
| [MyActuator](https://www.myactuator.com/) | Kunshan, Jiangsu | 🇨🇳 China | Joint modules | QDD, Planetary ([RMD-X8 listing](https://www.robotshop.com/products/myactuator-myactuator-rmd-x8-v3-can-bus-reduction-ratio-16-helical-gear-w-new-driver-mc-x-500-o)) | Undisclosed | Pre-A and A reported (Jun 2026), amount unconfirmed | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | [myactuator.com](https://www.myactuator.com/) |
| [Caldera](https://calderaindustries.ai/) | United States | 🇺🇸 United States | Motors | Not sourced | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | Undisclosed | [calderaindustries.ai](https://calderaindustries.ai/) |

## Segments

- **Joint modules:** Motor, gearbox, encoder and driver in one rotary joint.
- **Linear and screw:** Roller screws and linear actuators for hands and limbs.
- **Reducers:** Gearboxes other companies build into their joints.
- **Motors:** Motor cores for drones and robots.
- **Soft actuators:** Artificial muscles with no motor or gearbox.

## Production notes

- **Encos:** No volume disclosed. Makes integrated joint modules for humanoid robots.
- **Quanzhibo:** No monthly rate from the company. An investor put 2025 shipments above 100,000 joint modules and June 2026 alone above 60,000; reported annual capacity is 1 million units.
- **ZeroErr:** No volume disclosed. Makes eRob integrated joint modules.
- **Inspire Robots:** No volume disclosed. Makes micro linear servo actuators and dexterous hands.
- **Nousbot:** No volume disclosed. Makes micro planetary roller screws for humanoid joints and hands; expanding toward 10 million screws a year by end of 2026.
- **Juxie:** No volume disclosed. Plans annual capacity of 200,000 joint module sets in 2026, 1 million in 2027 and 2 million in 2028. Johnson Electric holds a minority stake.
- **Aster:** No monthly rate disclosed. Makes ASTERMOTOR drone and robot motors from its own laminated-coil process; plans a new plant in 2027 to raise output about 20x by FY2028. Press put the Akari investment at several billion yen, which Aster has not confirmed.
- **Atlas Motion:** About 10,000 motors a month, aiming past 40,000 by December 2026.
- **Westmag:** No shipped volume disclosed. Order book of hundreds of thousands of units, targeting tens of thousands a month by end of 2026.
- **Bonsystems:** No volume disclosed. Makes compact cycloidal reducers and joint actuators; the Jun 2026 round funds mass-production equipment.
- **MetisMotion:** No volume disclosed. Makes naXture compact high-force linear actuators for automation and robotics.
- **RobStride:** No monthly rate disclosed. Reported over 50,000 quasi-direct-drive joint motors shipped to 26 countries by Sep 2025.
- **Artimus Robotics:** No volume disclosed. Makes HASEL electrohydraulic soft actuators.
- **Index Robotics:** No volume disclosed. Makes IA Series humanoid joint actuators and an upper-body humanoid built on them.
- **MAB Robotics:** No volume disclosed. Makes high-torque actuators and motor controllers for legged robots.
- **MyActuator:** No volume disclosed. Makes integrated joint motors used widely in humanoid and legged robots.
- **Caldera:** No volume disclosed.

Figures are company-reported or from press coverage and are not independently verified.