Slip Robotics Secures $28 Million Series B Funding Led by DCVC

Slip Robotics, a developer of automated truck-loading robots, has closed a $28 million Series B financing round led by deep tech-focused DCVC.

Founded in 2017 by CEO Chris Smith, Slip Robotics is headquartered in Atlanta and develops automated systems to improve truck loading and unloading. The company’s flagship product, the SlipBot, is offered through a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) platform. This system reduces truck loading times to five minutes without requiring modifications to dock infrastructure. The company’s solutions are used by clients such as John Deere, GE Appliances, Valeo, and Nissan, addressing logistical bottlenecks and safety challenges in the supply chain.

Slip Robotics addresses inefficiencies in the supply chain, particularly in truck loading and unloading processes, which have seen little change over the past century. These processes often leave truck drivers idle at docks for about 23% of their workday. Forklift operators, meanwhile, work in environments prone to accidents, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reporting that a quarter of all warehouse accidents occur at loading docks. Many of these incidents involve individuals being crushed between forklifts and trailers. SlipBots replace traditional 30- to 60-minute loading times with a five-minute process.

“Modernizing loading and unloading is an enormous problem waiting to be solved,” said James Hardiman, a general partner at DCVC. “Slip Robotics is driving a level of change in the supply chain industry not seen since the containerization of sea freight.”

The SlipBot design eliminates the need for Wi-Fi, complex IT integration, or dock infrastructure modifications, allowing it to handle diverse freight types at any dock. For example, multinational automotive supplier Valeo reduced trailer load times to five minutes, increased dock throughput sixfold, and cut forklift traffic by 80% using SlipBots.

Other investors in the $28 million Series B round include Eve Atlas, Tech Square Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Overline, and Pathbreaker Ventures. This brings Slip Robotics’ total funding to $45 million to date.

Demand for automation in the supply chain continues to grow due to labor shortages and rising logistics costs. The American Trucking Association reports a shortage of over 78,000 truck drivers in 2022, with projections exceeding 160,000 by 2030. U.S. logistics spending reached $2.3 trillion in 2023, according to the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP). Rising e-commerce activity, expected to account for 24% of global retail sales by 2026, further pressures supply chains to enhance efficiency. Slip Robotics offers a scalable solution that modernizes logistics without requiring costly infrastructure changes.

DCVC, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, was founded in 2011 and invests in companies leveraging computational technologies to address complex global challenges. The firm focuses on sectors such as deep tech, life sciences, and sustainability, supporting companies with high scalability potential. DCVC’s most recent fund, DCVC Bio III LP, closed in 2022 with $515 million in commitments for growth-stage investments.