Tactile Sensor Firm Tujian Tech Raises Over $100M

Tujian Technology, a Beijing-based innovator in flexible electronic skin and tactile sensing systems, has successfully closed a dual-tranche Pre-A and Pre-A+ funding round, amassing over 100 million yuan (approximately $13.8 million USD). This significant capital infusion was backed by a consortium of prominent investors, including Lenovo Star, Huacong Fund, Yuanhe Puhua, Yuanhe Holdings, and Hongtai Fund. The company plans to channel these funds into advancing its core technology research, expanding its product portfolio to include full-body robotic tactile sensing and haptic data collection gloves, and scaling its manufacturing capabilities to accelerate market penetration.

Founded in January 2020, Tujian Technology is at the forefront of developing stretchable, multi-modal flexible electronic skins and embodied tactile perception systems. The company also focuses on creating tactile data acquisition toolchains and establishing robust model frameworks. Its technology aims to find applications in embodied intelligence, smart cockpits, health and wellness, and companion robotics. With dual headquarters in Beijing and Shenzhen, and a forward-thinking R&D center in Silicon Valley, Tujian Technology has already established a 2,000-square-meter R&D facility and an automated production line.

The global tactile sensor market is experiencing robust growth, projected to expand from over $15 billion USD in 2024 to more than $35 billion USD by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 12.8%, according to Verified Market Research. The flexible tactile sensing segment, in particular, is seeing accelerated expansion, driven by the burgeoning field of embodied AI and advanced robotics, with an estimated CAGR of 35%. This surge highlights the increasing demand for sophisticated sensory feedback in human-robot interaction and autonomous systems.

Tujian Technology's differentiated approach centers on intrinsically stretchable materials, a departure from traditional rigid or semi-flexible sensor designs. Led by CEO Lai Jiancheng, a former postdoctoral researcher at Stanford University under Professor Zhenan Bao, the company has developed proprietary flexible material systems capable of maintaining stable electrical performance under over 100% strain, with rapid recovery and minimal bending radii. This intrinsic stretchability is crucial for conforming to the complex, non-developable surfaces of robots and humanoids, overcoming the limitations of existing technologies that often fail under dynamic deformation.

The company's electronic skin integrates multi-modal sensor arrays, achieving a density of up to 400 sensors per square centimeter. This advanced design enables the perception of multiple data points, including pressure, temperature, shear stress, surface texture, and even a unique 'proximity sensing' capability that can detect an object's approach up to 20 centimeters away. This sophisticated sensing suite allows robots to not only detect contact but also anticipate it, discern material properties, and understand subtle interactions, significantly enhancing safety and operational precision in complex environments.

Tujian Technology's product strategy encompasses three key areas: tactile solutions for robotic end-effectors (dexterous hands), full-body tactile sensing for robots, and a haptic glove system for data collection. The dexterous hand and full-body solutions are geared towards real-time perception and interaction for robots, while the haptic gloves are designed for human operator data capture to train AI models. This integrated approach creates a feedback loop for continuous model improvement, moving from human demonstration to robotic execution and refinement. The company is already seeing traction with its dexterous hand solutions, with some entering mass production, and is actively collaborating with leading embodied AI firms and automotive manufacturers on full-body tactile integration.

A cornerstone of Tujian Technology's 2026 roadmap is the mass production of its standardized tactile glove system. This system aims to capture high-fidelity interaction data, including the continuous relationship between actions, contact, force, and feedback, which is vital for training sophisticated AI models. Unlike conventional motion capture systems, Tujian's gloves focus on the nuances of physical contact, differentiating between actual interaction and empty gestures, thereby improving the quality and relevance of training data. This focus on rich, contextual tactile data is critical for enabling robots to truly understand and navigate the physical world, positioning Tujian Technology as a key enabler in the advancement of embodied intelligence.