Chinese indoor delivery robot startup PuduTech received two significant investments in less than two months, in a clear sign that investors are betting on a future in which robot-staffed hospitals, restaurants and hotels are commonplace. The Shenzhen-based company, whose products have been used for meal and drug deliveries without direct human to human contact in some Chinese hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic, said on Wednesday that it has closed a nearly 100 million yuan ($14.5 million) series B funding round led by Sequoia Capital China. Other investors include the company's early financial backer Meituan Dianping, a Chinese lifestyle service and food delivery giant that invested more than 100 million yuan in PuduTech in early July. Meituan itself is also looking to a future of completely autonomous deliveries to reduce labor costs, with such services by robots or drones having already been piloted in some parts of China. The capital raised from the fresh financing round will be used to explore new markets for its robots designed for restaurants and develop new scenarios where its products can be applied, according to PuduTech CEO Zhang Tao.

Artificial Intelligence has already become a widespread technology, solving a large number of tedious tasks of enterprises. Looking at its capabilities, this year marked the biggest year in funding for AI ventures yet. The Q2 of 2019 saw a total investment of US$7.4 billion in AI startups, largely going to transportation and healthcare companies. Let's have a look at the top 10 AI investments that took place in October 2019. Brightfield, a New York City-based AI and Big Data analytics company, optimizes contract labor spend and program performance for employers, MSPs, and staffing firms earlier this month received US$53 million in early-stage funding round.

Artificial Intelligence has already become a widespread technology, solving a large number of tedious tasks of enterprises. Looking at its capabilities, this year marked the biggest year in funding for AI ventures yet. The Q2 of 2019 saw a total investment of US$7.4 billion in AI startups, largely going to transportation and healthcare companies. Let's have a look at the top 10 AI investments that took place in October 2019. Brightfield, a New York City-based AI and Big Data analytics company, optimizes contract labor spend and program performance for employers, MSPs, and staffing firms earlier this month received US$53 million in early-stage funding round.

UK: UK-based startups also accounted for 4% of global deal share in 2016. To name a few, Cambridge Medical Robotics raised $20M in Series A from investors including ABB Technology and Escala Capital; social robot Olly raised $10M in Series A from Lightning Capital and Alliance Capital Ventures; and educational robot-building startup tio was seed-funded by the Kickstarter Accelerator. Smart Money VCs: CRV backed Israel-based automated drone startup Airobotics in a $28.5M combined Series A and B round in Q2'16. Battery Ventures backed another Israel-based autonomous drone startup, Dronomy. Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital China backed previously mentioned drone company DJI Innovations.