Mecka AI, a startup that collects and analyzes human movement data to train humanoid robots and other robotics, is nearing a new round led by Sequoia Capital at a valuation of about $500 million, according to two people familiar with the deal.
This new funding comes just three months after Mecka announced it had raised $60 million in a round led by Framework Ventures, which included participation from Menlo Ventures, SV Angel, and Kindred Ventures.
TechCrunch does not know the exact size of the new round. Terms and conditions are not final and are subject to change.
Mecca AI did not respond to a request for comment. Sequoia declined to comment.
Mecka AI was co-founded in 2024 by four entrepreneurs. They include Canadians Josh Gao and Morgen Chen, who previously founded a restaurant fintech startup, and Jason Chong, who joined Coinbase after acquiring a cryptocurrency exchange. Duy Nguyen, the only non-Canadian on the team, is focused on operations in Mecca.
The four co-founders have no experience in robotics. However, they recognized the lack of physical world data and realized that capturing real-world interactions was the main bottleneck hindering the development of general-purpose robots, including humanoids.
Mecka, which takes its name from the fictional giant robot “mecha” controlled by humans, aimed to do for robotics what Scale AI, Mercor, Surge, and other human data companies have done for LLMs. The startup uses body sensors and smartphones to pay people to record everyday tasks like making coffee or fixing their car.
As of early June, Mecca was projecting to finish 2026 with an annual run rate of $100 million, Gao told Fortune at the time of its last funding announcement.
Although Mecka AI does not publish its customer list, many robotics companies and AI labs rely on real-world data collected through this “egocentric” approach to build models, alongside other physical data collection methods such as remote control.
Other startups collecting real-world data for robot training include XDOF, which TechCrunch reported last week was nearing a new round at a $1.2 billion valuation, and human data platforms expanding beyond LLMs such as Scale AI and Micro1.
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