“Technology is the primary driver of logistics and supply chain innovation.”
In July 2023, Guangdong Tusk Robotics Co., Ltd. underwent a business change, with Shenzhen Yishi Hu0lala Technology Co., Ltd. being added as a shareholder. At the same time, the registered capital of the company increased from approximately 10.6086 million yuan to approximately 11.2274 million yuan, representing a growth of about 5.8%.
Tusk APR Mobile Robot Product Line – Tusk Robot
For Huolala, this investment in Tusk Robotics could be driven by the desire to enhance logistics efficiency, expand into new business areas, and explore new markets by laying the groundwork in the field of intelligent devices. In recent years, the smart logistics market has experienced rapid growth, thanks to technological advancements, policy support, and increased investment. This growth has led to intense competition, compelling logistics companies to upgrade their operations through logistics intelligence.
In fact, other logistics and supply chain companies such as JD Logistics and Cainiao have long been involved in the deployment of intelligent logistics-related technologies, demonstrating a proactive approach to the adoption of smart logistics solutions.
Intelligent Deployment Overview of Domestic Logistics and Supply Chain Enterprises
(Partial Statistics)
| Company | Date | Intelligent Deployment Description |
|---|---|---|
| JD Logistics | Nov 2015 | Participated in angel round funding of Smart Future (Beijing) Robot System Company with several million RMB. |
| May 2016 | Established JD JDX Business Unit, focusing on "Internet + Logistics," encompassing projects such as JD's fully automated logistics centers, JD drones, JD warehouse robots, and JD autonomous delivery vehicles. | |
| Sep 2016 | China's first self-developed unmanned delivery vehicle entered the road testing phase. | |
| 2017 | Established JD Logistics X Unmanned Systems Research Institute for research and operation of branch-level and last-mile logistics drones. | |
| Jun 2017 | Launched its first unmanned express delivery vehicle. In 2021, JD Logistics received the first batch of vehicle codes for unmanned delivery vehicles in China. | |
| Jan 2018 | Led a 60-million RMB Series A financing for mobile robotics company, MARVELLous, and completed the acquisition of MARVELLous in Dec 2020. | |
| Aug 2021 | Invested $270 million in autonomous driving technology company, MIMI Technology, along with Deppon Logistics and others. | |
| Sep 2021 | Released self-developed "Tiandi Wolf - 3D Mobile Robot Goods-to-Person System" and handling AGV robot "Diewolf." | |
| Oct 2021 | Officially launched JD unmanned delivery vehicles, now updated to the fifth generation. | |
| 2022 | Introduced intelligent retail vehicles with Level 4 autonomous driving capabilities. | |
| Aug 2022 | Invested in core autonomous driving technology provider and smart logistics product supplier, Hangshen Intelligence. | |
| Cainiao Network | 2013 | Established Cainiao Network Technology Co., Ltd. |
| Sep 2016 | Founded E.T. Logistics Lab at the end of 2015, specializing in research on delivery drones, last-mile delivery robots, and complex picking robots. Released a robot capable of fully automated parcel delivery to customers' doorsteps, named "Xiao G." | |
| Mar 2017 | Co-invested 200 million RMB with SoftBank China in Kuaicang Intelligent, in addition to bond financing. | |
| Nov 2017 | Alibaba announced the establishment of DAMO Academy, focusing on research in quantum computing, machine learning, fundamental algorithms, network security, visual computing, natural language processing, human-computer interaction, chip technology, sensor technology, and embedded systems. | |
| Oct 2018 | Invested over 300 million RMB in SpeedBird, a provider of autonomous driving LiDAR perception solutions. | |
| Sep 2020 | DAMO Academy launched the first logistics robot, "Xiao Manluo," and simultaneously unveiled a robot platform, marking the company's official entry into the robotics industry. | |
| Feb 2021 | Established the Logistics Technology Business Unit, officially opening up the market and offering one-stop logistics technology solutions, including design, hardware, algorithms, technology, and engineering. | |
| Jul 2022 | Introduced a self-developed pallet four-direction shuttle. | |
| RRS Express | Sep 2019 | Invested several hundred million RMB in Kejie Intelligent Equipment for Series B financing. |
| Jun 2020 | Released the Longmen Picking Robot. | |
| Sinotrans Overseas | Feb 2022 | Jointly established an autonomous driving smart logistics joint venture with Pony.ai, with a registered capital of one billion RMB. |
| Anda ZhiLian | Mar 2018 | Introduced the Air-pick and Air-carry robots, as well as the Optimus Prime solution and Bumblebee system. |
| Deppon Express | May 2018 | Launched the small D unmanned vehicle. |
| Nov 2018 | Collaborated with PlusAI to develop the "Deppon Express Kirin" unmanned delivery truck. | |
| Jun 2020 | Invested in Muyi Robotics through equity financing. | |
| Mar 2021 | Co-invested nearly 100 million RMB in Muyi Robotics with BlueRun Ventures. | |
| Aug 2021 | Alongside JD Logistics and others, invested $270 million in autonomous driving company MIMI Technology. | |
| HuoLaLa | Jul 2023 | Participated in the A-round financing of Guangdong Task Robot Co., Ltd. |
| SF Express | 2019 | Developed the "Xiao You" building delivery robot in-house. |
| Jul 2020 | Released the intelligent delivery robot "Fang Tang." | |
| COSCO Shipping | Apr 2018 | Clearly defined the goal and development path for intelligent transformation in the field of artificial intelligence, including intelligent robots, deep learning, automatic program design, data mining, and launched the "Asimov Plan" accordingly. |
| Jan 2019 | Created the logistics RPA process automation project, "Da Bai" software robot. | |
| Suning Logistics | Dec 2016 | Established Suning Logistics Research Institute and S Lab. |
| Aug 2017 | Collaborated with Geek+ to develop the new type of warehouse robot, M100. | |
| Nov 2017 | Independently developed the robot "Xiao biu." | |
| Shentong Express | 2015 | Launched intelligent sorting robots. |
| Mar 2020 | Invested in Zhejiang Shentong Wanma Technology Co., Ltd., a company specializing in big data and artificial intelligence technology. | |
| Best Express | 2013 | Independently developed the Storm Automatic Sorting System. |
| Oct 2015 | Jointly invested 40 million RMB in Kuaicang Intelligent with ZTE Corporation. | |
| 2017 | Collaborated with top domestic teams to develop intelligent warehousing robots. | |
| Aug 2018 | Led and participated in the Series A financing for KUBO Robotics, with a total investment of tens of millions of RMB. | |
| Yunda Express | 2018 | Established the "Delivery Unmanned Vehicle Project" research team and began developing unmanned vehicles. |
| YTO Express | May 2020 | Invested 500 million RMB to establish Hebei YTO Northern Technology Innovation Center, involved in information technology development, general cargo transportation, and warehousing services. |
| Jun 2020 | The registered capital of Wuxi YTO Circular Economy Technology Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of YTO Express, increased from 20 million RMB to 350 million RMB, with a remarkable increase of 1650%. | |
| Aug 2020 | Established a new company, Hangzhou YTO Intelligence Technology Co., Ltd., with a registered capital of 200 million RMB. The business scope includes the development of artificial intelligence applications, software development, and research and development of intelligent robots. | |
“Digitized supply chains, as a new infrastructure project for the next decade, represent the most significant opportunity to reshape the future of the logistics industry, driven by technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things. The core driving force behind this transformation is undeniably technological advancement, as technology stands as the primary catalyst for innovation in logistics and supply chain. It undoubtedly becomes the focal point for major logistics and supply chain enterprises in their strategic planning.
Robots, as the central equipment in smart logistics, will greatly enhance logistics efficiency through their technological development. However, the establishment of smart logistics goes beyond mere robot implementation; it involves the integration of intelligent technologies to enable logistics systems to mimic human intelligence, possessing the abilities to think, perceive, learn, reason, and autonomously solve certain logistical challenges. Competition among logistics enterprises is not limited to single-product competition but extends to competition within the entire industry ecosystem.
Examining the strategic positioning of major logistics enterprises in smart logistics, it becomes evident that this is not just a financial battle but also a technological competition. Ultimately, the advantage gained through financial resources will revert to the underlying technological implementation and practical application, allowing for the true formation of productive capabilities.”
