Malaysian robotics company DF Automation & Robotics (DF Auto) has secured $1.85 million in a fresh funding round led by Vynn Capital, according to an announcement.
The round was joined by existing investor Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC), new investor Japan’s Leave a Nest Capital and individual investors through equity crowdsourcing.
Vynn Capital invested in DF Auto through its Mobility and Supply Chain fund which is backed by KWAP, Sime Darby Berhad, MAVCAP, and other strategic limited partners.
DF Auto was set up in 2012 by three engineers – Dr Yeong Che Fai, Ricky Yap Wee Yang, and Tan Ping Hua – who met at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The trio wanted to provide a solution through robotic automation to address rising labour costs in the region’s thriving manufacturing industry.
The company designs and manufactures autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for diverse industries. These AMRs navigate and streamline intralogistics, aligning with smart factory initiatives while reducing labor needs, boosting efficiency, and enhancing safety in handling heavy and repetitive loads.
DF Auto has a global client base spanning across Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Ireland, and Malta. The proceeds of the funding round will be used to fuel the company’s expansion plan.
“With the significant growth in Malaysia’s semiconductor and manufacturing industries, DF Auto is well-positioned to be a part of this growth story. As a venture capital firm, we stand behind great founders who can observe long-term opportunities and be able to build meaningful products that are customer-centric,” said Victor Chua, Vynn Capital’s Founding & Managing Partner.
In January this year, Vynn Capital announced that Malaysia Venture Capital Management Berhad (MAVCAP) has come on board its Mobility and Supply Chain Fund as a limited partner.
Malaysia-based Vynn Capital is targeting a corpus of $30 million for this fund, which will be investing in Southeast Asia-focused early-stage startups. This is Vynn Capital’s second fund following its 2019 debut fund that was also backed by MAVCAP.
