Ropet, a companion robot maker, has closed a Series A1 funding round, raising an eight-figure RMB sum. The round was led by the Beijing Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund, with participation from FreesFund. Index Capital served as the sole financial advisor.
Founded in 2022 with backing from Verity Ventures, Ropet develops robotic companions aimed at long-term comfort and connection.
The company is led by co-founders He Jiabin and Zhou Yushu, who bring more than a decade of experience in internet products and human-computer interaction. Its team includes veterans from ByteDance, Microsoft, Alibaba’s Damo Academy, Xiaomi, and Nio, with expertise in product design, artificial intelligence, brand building, and large-scale operations.
He, now CEO, previously held roles at Microsoft Research Asia, Baidu, Ling Technology, and ByteDance, where he led the development of Luka, a children’s reading robot. Zhou earned a PhD from Stanford University in human-computer interaction and cognitive psychology, co-founded several internet companies, and focuses on product strategy and user research.
In December 2024, Ropet introduced its first robotic companion, Kamomo, on Kickstarter. The device raised USD 400,000 and was named one of the year’s best AI-driven consumer products in North America.
The company showcased Kamomo at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, where its compact design and interactive features drew attention. In August, Ropet launched the product on Japanese crowdfunding site Makuake, surpassing JPY 27 million (USD 182,400) in the first hour.
Ropet targets young users with products built on biological mechanisms and multimodal sensing, supported by more than 40 patents. Its three main features are:
- Lifelike presence: Expressive eyes, emotional cues, and vocal feedback that create a sense of interaction.
- Light-touch interaction: Companionship that remains attentive without intruding.
- Customizability: Adaptable looks and content, with options for eye styles, voices, fur textures, and masks.
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On the hardware side, Ropet integrates vision and audio sensors with responsive haptics to perceive its environment and user touch. On the software side, its AI-driven emotion engine interprets moods and responds accordingly, shifting companionship from function to feeling.
The company has also developed a “pet raising system,” where devices learn from daily interactions and develop unique personalities and relational patterns. Users tend to their loneliness, sickness, hunger, and unease, while receiving emotional support in return.
“We want to build a company that moves slowly,” He said. “Our goal is to soften AI and technology, to meet people in their most fragile moments, and to use design and engineering to awaken our ability to love.”
In a statement, the Beijing Artificial Intelligence Industry Investment Fund said AI-enabled consumer hardware is a high-potential growth sector, with companion robots likely to become one of its fastest-expanding segments:
“Ropet’s core team has experience taking consumer products from idea to mass production. Its flagship robotic pet shows multidimensional innovation in design, software experience, and user interaction, which has already attracted attention at crowdfunding platforms and exhibitions worldwide.”
Meng Changjie, early-stage project director at FreesFund, pointed to the evolutionary roots of loneliness:
“Loneliness is a survival mechanism embedded in human genes. As technology reshapes lifestyles, addressing it has become a central challenge of modern society. Advances in AI, robotics, sensors, and chips make companion robots a promising solution. […] The Ropet device balances playfulness, aesthetics, and technological discipline. We believe the company will continue to deliver emotionally meaningful products and sustain leadership in this field.”
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Wang Fangyu for 36Kr.