Alibaba's favorite 'warehouse robot' maker, Geek+ raises funds

The company raised $14 million led by Vertex Ventures, reports Tech In Asia

China has been the world’s number one buyer of industrial robots since 2013, and last year surpassed Japan’s total of operating robots. And as the country battles rising wages, the automation trend is only going to accelerate.

But it’s not just manufacturers – like iPhone maker Foxconn – that are turning to robotics. So are online shopping companies.

That’s why Alibaba is emulating Amazon in putting more robots into the logistics warehouses it runs with several Chinese delivery firms. For robots that’ll fetch and carry stacks of goods, Jack Ma’s ecommerce behemoth, through its Cainiao spin-off, turns to a local