Gritt Raises $34M to Deploy AI-Powered Robots That Install Solar Panels at Scale

A robotics startup founded by two Carnegie Mellon researchers has emerged from stealth with $34 million in total backing to tackle one of the clean energy sector's biggest bottlenecks: the shortage of workers needed to rapidly deploy solar infrastructure worldwide.

Gritt, led by CEO Puneet Puri and CTO Vishal Dugar, announced a $26 million Series A round on Tuesday, bringing together support from Obvious Ventures, Union Square Ventures, and Active Impact Investment. An earlier seed round had counted First Round Capital, Climactic, Congruent Ventures, and VSC Ventures among its backers.

The Challenge: Labor Constraints in Solar Expansion#

As countries accelerate their energy transitions, installing solar and battery systems faster has become critical to meeting climate goals. Yet the industry faces a persistent constraint: there simply aren't enough trained workers to meet surging demand for installation and construction work. Traditional industrial robots have struggled in these unstructured, outdoor environments—a limitation that newer AI breakthroughs may finally address.

How Gritt's Approach Differs#

Rather than developing proprietary hardware from the ground up, Gritt licenses and rents existing equipment—robotic arms from manufacturers like Kawasaki and rented skidders—then overlays them with its own AI control systems. This approach prioritizes speed to deployment and lower capital costs.

The company's initial task is highly specialized: unloading oversized glass solar panels, transporting them to installation frames, and positioning them with sub-millimeter precision so human crews can complete fastening. The results speak to the productivity gain: teams of eight workers typically install 800 panels per day, but the same crew augmented with Gritt's systems can handle 3,000 to 4,000 panels daily.

Real-World Traction and Expansion Plans#

Gritt has already deployed two systems in the field, gathering operational data to refine their behavior continuously. The startup claims contracts to support installation of 2.8 gigawatts of solar capacity over the next year and a half, with three of the top ten US power construction firms among its customers. Management aims to scale to 48 operating systems within six months.

One customer, speaking anonymously due to competitive sensitivity, highlighted the system's appeal for remote job sites where recruiting workers is difficult, plus the injury reduction from eliminating repetitive 100-pound overhead lifts.