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Donut Robotics

Category: Robotics / Embodied AI

A robotics and AI startup developing multimodal humanoid robots and smart hardware designed to address global labor shortages in the construction, manufacturing, and hospitality sectors. Donut Robotics was founded in 2014. The company is led by Taisuke Ono. Based in Tokyo, Japan. Team size: 50+. Total funding raised: ~$3.76M. Latest round: Angel II (Dec 2025). Key investors include ["Rozetta","Sojitz Corporation","MBS","Airtrip","MediroM","Fundinno"].

Founded
2014
Headquarters
Tokyo, Japan
Team size
50+
Total funding
~$3.76M

Value proposition

Combines advanced Vision-Language-Action (VLA) AI models with high-mobility humanoid hardware to automate physical labor and complex communication tasks in aging societies.

Products and solutions

["CLIN / cinnamon 1 (Humanoid Robot for labor and construction)","cinnamon (Tabletop/Guide robot for reception and security)","C-FACE (Smart mask providing translation and transcription)","donut AI (Multimodal LLM platform for robot control and meeting minutes)"]

Unique value

Distinguished by its ability to pivot rapidly from consumer hardware (C-FACE mask) to heavy-duty humanoids, becoming the first Japanese brand to leverage Chinese OEM speed for mass-market humanoid production.

Target customer

Construction firms, factory operators, airport facilities, medical institutions, and large-scale retail/hospitality chains.

Industries served

["Construction","Manufacturing","Hospitality","Logistics","Healthcare"]

Technology advantage

Integration of 'Vision-Language-Action' (VLA) models allowing robots to perform autonomous physical tasks from verbal commands; world's first implementation of gesture-controlled humanoid interfaces in commercial service robots.

How they differentiate

Donut Robotics differentiates through its 'Physical AI' approach, which integrates advanced multimodal LLMs (donut AI) for translation and transcription directly into low-cost humanoid hardware. Unlike Western competitors focusing on high-end general intelligence, they leverage Chinese OEM partnerships for rapid, cost-effective mass production to address labor shortages in aging societies.

Main competitors

["Telexistence","UBTECH Robotics","Figure AI","Tokyo Robotics"]

Key partnerships

["MBS (Capital & Business Alliance for construction site DX)","Sojitz Corporation (Global sales and business development)","Elecom (Sales partnership for 'donut AI' software)","Rosetta (AI translation engine integration)","Haneda Airport (Robot project implementation partner)"]

Notable customers

["Japan Airport Terminal (Haneda)","Elecom","NFL (Mascot Robot)","Construction firms via MBS"]

Major milestones

["Named one of TIME Magazine's Best Inventions of 2020 for the C-FACE smart mask","Selected for the Haneda Airport Robot Project in 2017/2020","Won the EY Innovative Startup 2024 Award","Announced mass production of the 'CLIN' humanoid robot via Chinese OEM in 2025"]

Growth metrics

Targeting ¥3.8B ($25M) in annual revenue by 2025; expanded from a 10-person garage startup to a global mass-production phase with 50+ members/partners.

Market positioning

Pioneering Japanese humanoid brand transitioning from smart wearables to heavy-duty industrial and hospitality automation.

Geographic focus

Primarily Japan (domestic labor market) with production and supply chain roots in China and emerging interest in North America (NFL mascot projects).

Patents and IP

Publicly filed patents for gesture-based robot control systems and specialized communication protocols for translating wearable devices (JP2023-xxxx series).

About Taisuke Ono

A visionary entrepreneur and self-taught product designer who founded his first business at age 22. After several ventures in product design, he founded Donut Robotics in 2014 in a garage in Kitakyushu. He led the company through a major pivot during COVID-19 to create the globally recognized 'C-FACE' smart mask, which was named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2020. He is currently steering the company back to its original mission: developing humanoid robots for physical labor and hospitality, recently securing significant funding offers to scale mass production in China.

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