Nicolas Chee: Founder and CEO of ForwardX Robotics
Nicolas Chee is the founder and CEO of ForwardX Robotics, a robotics company based in Beijing, China. The company develops vision-guided autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for warehouses, factories and other industrial environments.
ForwardX Robotics has grown from an early interest in consumer robotics into a business focused on warehouse automation, autonomous material handling and industrial logistics. Its development reflects the increasing use of AI-powered robots to move goods and improve efficiency in modern manufacturing and distribution facilities.
Nicolas Chee’s Background
Chee’s professional background has been associated with technology and business leadership. A company database lists a postgraduate degree in integrated circuits, success in the international Robocon robotics competition and senior positions at SAP and Oracle, including leadership of a software-as-a-service (SaaS) division.
His reported experience across software and robotics provides context for ForwardX’s combination of computer vision, autonomous navigation and industrial automation.
Founding ForwardX Robotics
ForwardX Robotics was founded in 2016, although another account places its founding in 2014. The company initially explored consumer robotics, including the Ovis autonomous suitcase, designed to follow its owner through airports.
The suitcase concept offered a practical demonstration of autonomous movement and object tracking. However, the company later shifted towards business-to-business (B2B) applications after identifying demand for robotic solutions in warehouses and factories.
This transition allowed ForwardX to focus on industrial customers looking to automate repetitive movement and material-handling tasks.
ForwardX Robotics’ Funding and Growth
ForwardX has attracted substantial investment to support its product development and commercial expansion. Its reported funding history includes several major rounds.
| Funding round or milestone | Reported amount |
|---|---|
| Series B+ | US$15 million |
| Series B funding cycle | Approximately US$63 million reported in total for the cycle, including a round exceeding US$38 million |
| Series C1 | US$31 million |
| Total funding after C1 | Approximately US$100 million based on the listed rounds |
| Broader Dealroom funding estimate | Approximately US$140 million |
| Estimated valuation range | US$500 million to US$1 billion |
The company reports more than 150 commercial projects and over 3,000 deployed robots. It also operates a 115,000-square-foot production facility and offers a robots-as-a-service model, allowing customers to access robotic automation without necessarily purchasing every system outright.
The Technology Behind ForwardX Robotics
ForwardX uses visual simultaneous localisation and mapping (visual SLAM), a technology that allows robots to understand their surroundings and navigate without relying on physical tracking markers.
This capability is valuable in industrial environments where layouts can change and robots must move around people, equipment and goods.
The company has deployed 435 autonomous mobile robots at Chery’s electric vehicle factory in Dalian. It has also introduced a fully autonomous forklift, extending its technology into material handling and factory logistics.
These applications demonstrate how autonomous mobile robots can support manufacturing operations by transporting materials and reducing repetitive manual movement.
ForwardX Robotics’ Oceania Expansion
ForwardX’s commercial development includes an exclusive distribution agreement with Richmond Rolling Solutions covering Oceania. The arrangement represents a route for the company to expand its presence in Australia, New Zealand and the wider regional market through a distribution partner.
Regional distribution partnerships can help robotics manufacturers reach industrial customers, support deployments and expand their commercial networks beyond their home markets.
Nicolas Chee Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Profession | Robotics entrepreneur |
| Role | Founder and CEO, ForwardX Robotics |
| Headquarters | Beijing, China |
| Founding year | 2016; another account cites 2014 |
| Main products | Autonomous mobile robots and warehouse automation systems |
| Reported projects | More than 150 commercial projects |
| Deployed robots | Over 3,000 |
| Production facility | 115,000 square feet |
| Estimated total funding | Approximately US$100 million to US$140 million |
| Estimated valuation | US$500 million to US$1 billion |
| Net worth | – |
| Age and family | – |
Nicolas Chee’s work at ForwardX Robotics highlights the transition from consumer robotics concepts to large-scale industrial automation. The company’s early autonomous suitcase project demonstrated the potential of vision-guided movement, while its current focus on warehouse robots, autonomous forklifts and factory logistics addresses the needs of commercial and industrial customers.
With deployments across manufacturing and logistics, ForwardX Robotics continues to operate in a sector where autonomous navigation, computer vision and flexible automation are becoming increasingly important. Its partnership with Richmond Rolling Solutions also reflects the role of regional distributors in bringing robotics technology to new markets.