Destro Raises $8M and Deploys 26 Robots at Yusen

The startup Destro does not build robots but develops a system that coordinates humans, carts, and trucks. After a pilot conducted at Yusen Logistics, it is expanding the installation to 26 robots and preparing a second test with 17 units, supported by a $8 million funding round. However, there are still limitations for tasks requiring more dexterity.

Dexterity Remains a Blind Spot for Now

Workflows that require finer manipulation could pose a challenge for Destro's approach. Generic robots and open-source models have yet to demonstrate their ability to perform these complex tasks, and it is uncertain whether manufacturers of basic models, highly agile hands, or versatile humanoids will make these tools accessible to companies like Destro. For the moment, competition with futuristic robot manufacturers is not seen as an immediate concern: Richard Brunelle indicates that he has not identified any compelling use cases for a bipedal humanoid, although he is exploring a potential pilot with a wheeled humanoid. He emphasizes that automation only makes sense if it addresses a real operational need and improves efficiency, consistency, and flexibility. Manthan Pawar describes Destro's role as a software harness that enables these workflows over robotic and software platforms.

Yusen Selects Destro After Comparative Trials

Yusen Logistics tested two other significant startups specializing in robotics but failed to integrate their technologies into its own operations. One of them provided a robot capable of transporting carts but could not handle loading or unloading, while the other offered fleet management solutions that required constant human supervision. Destro was chosen for its ability to automate the entire process. According to Richard Brunelle, the operation has become less burdensome, has eliminated paper, and is now fully systematized, thanks to Destro's Mothership OS, which coordinates workers, carts, and trucks, while the robots detect full loads and deliver them to their destinations.

Two Pilot Sites and Deployment Expanded to 26 Robots

The initial pilot was launched at a Yusen facility in the Pacific Northwest, featuring three cart-moving robots designed by Miva Robotics and operated by Destro's Vision OS, which relies on vision-language-action models capable of interpreting images and instructions to control movements. This pilot is being expanded towards a full deployment of 26 robots. Meanwhile, Destro is starting a second pilot with 17 robots at Yusen's site in Southern California.

$8M Funding Round and Plans for Large-Scale Duplication

Destro has raised $8 million in a round led by Base10 Partners and Bonfire Ventures, with participation from CoFound Partners. Manthan Pawar plans to replicate the cross-dock workflow in thousands of similar warehouses and aims for profitability by the end of the year.

Logistics Before Robotics: Genesis and Bias

At Yusen Logistics, Richard Brunelle oversees the automation of approximately 30 sites in the United States for this South Korean transport group. The infrastructure combines fixed automation such as conveyors and sorters, along with trials of trailer unloading robots or autonomous floor washers. Yusen's UK subsidiary has already built a fully autonomous facility, and a similar project is underway in the United States. During his meeting with Manthan Pawar, Destro was working on picking and packing; Brunelle asked him to adapt the solution for cross-docking, which involves sorting unloaded goods into mixed loads for other trucks, a request Destro accepted and fully invested in. Destro positions itself as an intelligence layer that coordinates robots and workers, as opposed to a robot manufacturing-focused approach, as Pawar, an NYU Tandon graduate with about eight years of experience in supply chain and robotics in the U.S., points out. Destro plans to showcase its approach at TechCrunch Disrupt, scheduled for October 13-15, where it will participate in the Startup Battlefield.