Daily Technology
·13/03/2026
The field of humanoid robotics has a new major contender. Robotics company Sunday recently announced it has secured $165 million in a Series B funding round, elevating its valuation to $1.15 billion and granting it unicorn status. The round was led by Coatue Management, with participation from other prominent investors including Tiger Global, Benchmark, and Bain Capital Ventures.
Founded by Tony Zhao and Cheng Chi, Sunday is channeling this significant capital infusion into an ambitious goal: the creation of a commercially viable humanoid robot for the home. The robot, named Memo, is being designed to assist with a variety of domestic chores, such as doing laundry and clearing tables. The company, which emerged from stealth late last year, has already garnered a waitlist of 1,000 potential customers, indicating strong market interest in its vision.
The quest to build a general-purpose household robot is a long-standing challenge in the tech world. For decades, the concept has been a staple of science fiction, but a difficult reality for engineers. A primary obstacle has been the development of reliable grasping capabilities. Teaching a robot to handle objects of varying weights, textures, and fragility—distinguishing between a soft towel and a delicate wineglass, for example—requires immense amounts of training data and sophisticated artificial intelligence.
In the current landscape, several companies are tackling the humanoid form factor, but with different target applications. While some competitors focus on logistics or manufacturing environments where tasks are more structured, Sunday is directly targeting the unpredictable and complex dynamics of a private home. This strategic focus on the domestic sphere presents a unique set of technical challenges compared to industrial applications. The success of Memo will depend on breakthroughs in AI that allow the robot to navigate and interact safely and effectively within a constantly changing human environment.
With its new billion-dollar valuation and substantial funding, Sunday is now well-positioned to accelerate its research and development. The company's progress will be closely watched as it attempts to solve the complex problems of domestic robotics and turn the long-held dream of a household helper into a tangible product.









