Mecka AI nears $500M valuation in Sequoia-led deal amid rush for robot training data

Mecka AI, a startup specializing in collecting and analyzing human motion data to train humanoid robots, is nearing a new funding round led by Sequoia Capital at a valuation of approximately $500 million. This financing follows a $60 million round raised just three months ago. Founded in 2024 by Josh Gao, Mogen Cheng, Jason Chong, and Duy Nguyen, the company identified a critical bottleneck in robotics: the lack of physical-world data. Mecka AI pays individuals to record themselves performing everyday tasks—such as fixing cars or making coffee—using body sensors and smartphones to create training datasets for robotics companies and AI labs. While the startup has not disclosed its customer list, its approach to capturing "egocentric" data is increasingly vital for the development of general-purpose robots. As of June, the company projected an annual run rate of $100 million by the end of 2026.