Sunday raises $165M to build household humanoid robots

On Thursday, the robotics startup Sunday announced that it has secured $165 million in a Series B funding round, which represents a key stage of venture capital financing. This latest injection of capital values the company at $1.15 billion. With this valuation, Sunday has officially achieved unicorn status, a term used to describe a private company valued at over $1 billion.

The funding round was led by the investment firm Coatue Management. Several other investment firms also participated in the round, expanding Sunday’s investor base. The participating investors include:

• Tiger Global
• Benchmark
• Bain Capital Ventures

Sunday was founded by Tony Zhao and Cheng Chi. The company operated in stealth—a phase where a startup develops its technology without public disclosure—until it emerged late last year. Sunday is currently focusing its development efforts on a household humanoid robot named Memo. The robot is being designed to assist users with everyday domestic tasks, such as folding laundry and clearing dining tables. Although the product is still in development, there is already significant market interest. According to figures reported by Bloomberg, Sunday has accumulated a waitlist of 1,000 people eager to acquire the robot.

The startup is entering a field that has challenged roboticists and artificial intelligence researchers for decades. While the concept of a domestic humanoid helper has long been envisioned, practical implementation has repeatedly fallen short. A primary obstacle is the lack of training data required to teach robots how to reliably grasp and manipulate physical objects of varying weights, textures, and fragility—such as transitioning from handling a soft towel to a fragile wineglass. Sunday aims to solve this long-standing challenge of robotic object manipulation. As artificial intelligence technology continues to advance, Sunday is among a new wave of robotics companies attempting to overcome these physical limitations and bring functional humanoid helpers into home environments.

Why it matters

Sunday’s valuation highlights a renewed investor appetite for humanoid robotics, specifically for companies attempting to solve the technical hurdle of reliable object manipulation in home environments. If Sunday can successfully train Memo to handle delicate and heavy household items alike, it could unlock a massive consumer market for domestic automation.