It is reported that Mecka AI, a robotics training data startup, is nearing the completion of a new funding round led by Sequoia Capital, with an estimated valuation of around $500 million. This round comes just three months after Mecka's previously announced $60 million Series A financing, though the exact size and final terms of the deal remain undisclosed. Founded in 2024, Mecka AI’s core business revolves around collecting and analyzing human motion data: users record first-person footage of everyday tasks—such as brewing coffee or repairing vehicles—via body sensors and smartphones, and Mecka AI compensates them for this data, which is then used to train general-purpose and humanoid robots.

This model bears resemblance to Scale AI’s data services for large language models. As of early June, Mecka anticipates achieving an annual run rate of $100 million by end-2026. Currently, robotics companies and AI labs widely rely on real-world data and teleoperation techniques to build their models. Similarly, another data-focused startup, XDOF, was previously reported to be close to closing a new funding round with a valuation reaching $1.2 billion.