Mecka AI nears $500M valuation in Sequoia-led deal amid rush for robot training data
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Mecka AI is reportedly nearing a funding round led by Sequoia Capital that would value the robotics data startup at about $500 million. The deal follows a $60 million round announced three months earlier, although its size and terms have not been finalized. Founded in 2024 by four entrepreneurs without robotics backgrounds, Mecka focuses on the shortage of physical-world data needed to develop general-purpose robots. It pays people to record everyday activities, such as making coffee or repairing cars, using body sensors and smartphones. The company projected an annual revenue run rate of $100 million by the end of 2026, according to co-founder Josh Gao. Mecka is part of a growing group of startups collecting real-world data for robot training, including XDOF and human-data platforms expanding beyond language models.
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