Japan's LOMBY raises $2.5M Series A to mass-produce delivery robots
What's the deal? LOMBYDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, a Tokyo-based developer of autonomous delivery robots, has raised US$2.98M in a Series A round led by Mercuria InvestmentDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. The round closed on August 31, 2026, and brings the startup's total capital raised to US$5.75M.
Who's backing it? New investors include Suzuki MotorDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Canal VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the Tamashin-SNETI fund, and Nabtesco Technology VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →. Existing backer DRONE FUNDDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → added further funding.
What's the endgame? Founded in 2022, LOMBY builds robots for short-distance transport of goods and people. The money will fund mass production of its LM-A delivery robot and a concentrated rollout across several Japanese locations to reach the density needed for everyday use.
The company is also strengthening its partnership with Seven-Eleven JapanDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, aiming to turn convenience stores into hubs for a robot delivery network. Beyond the LM-A, it is developing the LM-T for factory transport and the LM-P personal mobility unit, all on one platform.
Why now? LOMBY frames the round against Japan's ageing population and labour shortages, arguing that regulation now allows low-speed autonomous robots to move from trials to deployment. "Low-speed, compact robots are an area where Japanese companies can still aim for the world's largest fleet," chief executive officer Tomoharu Uchiyama said (translated from Japanese).
Mercuria's Kohei Fujita said last-mile delivery is fragmenting into smaller, more frequent orders while staffing grows harder each year. LOMBY, he said, is entering a phase to establish "automated delivery from proof-of-concept to social infrastructure that supports daily life and industry" (translated from Japanese).
The signal: The round is modest by venture standards, but it reflects a broader push to automate Japan's constrained logistics workforce. With backers spanning an automaker, a regional bank, and industrial and drone specialists, LOMBY is positioning itself as a domestic answer to a physical-AI market still led from abroad.
Read more: prtimes.jp
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
