A&K Robotics announces $8M Series A round

Vancouver, Canada-based A&K Robotics, a company that said it is building autonomous mobility infrastructure for complex, human-centered environments, announced the closing of an $8 million CAD Series A investment.

The company said that the round was led by BDC’s Industrial Innovation Venture Fund, part of BDC Capital, and Vantage Futures, the corporate venture arm of Vantage Group.

Defining the future of airport mobility

A&K Robotics said that navigating airports can be a stressful experience for anyone, but is particularly difficult for people with mobility limitations. The company said that roughly 17% of the global population lives with mobility challenges, and requests for airport assistance are increasing 10–15% each year, outpacing passenger growth.

A&K Robotics said it is combating this issue by building autonomous mobility technology for airports - self-driving vehicles designed to move passengers through complex indoor environments. As airports face increasing passenger volumes, labor constraints and growing accessibility requirements, the company said that it is working closely with leading operators to integrate autonomous mobility into everyday operations.

“Air travel is chaotic enough - getting to your gate shouldn’t be part of the problem,” said Matthew Anderson, CEO of A&K Robotics. “We’re building the infrastructure that helps airports move more people, more safely and with greater independence; all while fitting seamlessly into existing operations.”

A&K Robotics built Cruz, a self-driving mobility robot that carries passengers through high-traffic, dynamic environments such as airport terminals. Cruz works like a self-driving vehicle purpose-built for indoors. The company said that riders select a destination and Cruz navigates autonomously using onboard sensors and advanced AI. It dynamically adjusts its path to move safely alongside pedestrians and arrive precisely at the intended location. The company said that Cruz is designed to operate continuously, enabling airports to deliver consistent, accessible passenger mobility at scale.

“We’re bringing autonomy indoors,” said Jessica Yip, COO of A&K Robotics. “While others focus on roads, we’re tackling the harder problem - navigating dense, unpredictable airport crowds. Autonomous mobility is already standard in warehouses. We are bringing it into the most complex indoor environments: airports.”

A&K Robotics said that Cruz is already deployed in complex, real-world airport environments, working with airport operators across North America and Europe, including Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD).  

A&K Robotics is backed by strategic investors

The company said that this financing round brings together leading investors in industrial innovation, mobility, robotics and deep technology to support A&K’s expansion into large-scale deployments. Additional investors include RiSC Capital, Grep VC, Nimbus Synergies and Dan Gelbart, co-founder of Creo and Kardium.

“We are pleased to partner with A&K Robotics and support its work to address a critical need in modern transportation infrastructure,” said Matthew Handford, executive managing director, Vantage Futures. “Their ability to deploy in dense, high-traffic airport environments positions them as a key partner for operators looking to improve operational efficiency, enhance passenger experience, and scale autonomous mobility across global networks.”

A&K said that the financing supports its transition from pilot programs to permanent deployments, expanding production capacity and accelerating adoption across major airport networks. The company added that it has also ramped up its research and development with a new rapid prototyping and R&D facility, expanding its ability to iterate quickly and bring deployment-ready systems into operation.

“Canada is home to some of the world’s most advanced robotics and AI companies,” said Byron Thom, partner at BDC’s Industrial Innovation Fund. “A&K Robotics represents the next generation of industrial innovation, combining deep technology with real-world deployment in complex, human-centered environments. That’s the type of deep technology companies that strengthen Canada’s global competitiveness in advanced industries and contribute to its economic sovereignty.”

Additionally, A&K said that it is establishing a third facility in Surrey, British Columbia, expanding into Manterra Technologies’ 55,000 square-foot site, and increasing manufacturing capacity from dozens to hundreds of autonomous vehicles per year.

Together, the company said that these expansions position A&K to support rapidly increasing demand from airport operators and enable the broader deployment of Cruz mobility pods at airport networks globally.