Corvus Robotics: Autonomous Inventory Drones

Corvus Robotics is a Mountain View, California startup that builds autonomous drones for warehouse inventory management. Their Corvus One system enables “lights-out” operations in distribution centers, scanning pallets and racks without human operators or external infrastructure like beacons or reflectors. They combine robotics, computer vision, and AI to boost efficiency, reduce costs, and improve inventory visibility across 3PLs, manufacturing, retail, and logistics sectors.

Recent Milestones of Corvus Robotics

• In October 2024, Corvus Robotics announced an updated version of their Corvus One system that operates in “lights-out” warehouses without needing reflectors, stickers, beacons, or additional infrastructure. This enables fully autonomous inventory scanning under varied conditions.
• Corvus One drones demonstrated strong obstacle detection and navigation ability. They safely fly at walking speed in narrow aisles (as tight as ~50 inches), ascend to avoid forklifts or humans, and operate without disrupting warehouse workflows.
• Inventory accuracy metrics improved significantly: the system helps warehouses achieve 99.9% accuracy in tracking, reduce shrinkage, and free up rack space (by reorganizing inventory flow).
• One of Corvus Robotics’ commercial deployments includes GNC, which adopted the Corvus One system to improve inventory operations, reduce errors, and boost overall warehouse efficiency.
• In addition, Corvus formed a partnership with Honeywell to integrate their SwiftDecoder software with Corvus One. This improves barcode scanning accuracy, especially in complex warehouse environments with low light or challenging layouts.

Fundraising & Financial Trajectory

• In October 2024, Corvus Robotics closed an $18 million Series A round (including prior seed funding), led by S2G Ventures and Spero Ventures, to expand its product capabilities and commercial deployment.
• According to Tracxn, the company has raised approximately $28.1 million over three rounds total.
• Part of the recent funding supports updating the system to enable operation in fully “lights-out” warehouses (night or off hours), improving deployment flexibility with minimal added infrastructure.

Core Technology & Product Highlights

Corvus One is the flagship system that uses fully autonomous drones to scan warehouse inventory. Key technical features include:

• Infrastructure-free indoor navigation: The drones do not need extra markers, reflectors, or beacons. They rely on onboard computer vision and AI world models to map their environment and localise.
• Obstacle detection and safety: The drones can safely navigate narrow aisles (as narrow as 50 inches), avoid collisions with staff, forklifts, or robots, and ascend if needed to avoid obstructions.
• Barcode scanning: Capable of reading any barcode symbology in any orientation, even when placed anywhere on front of cartons or pallets.
• Flexible deployment model: Corvus offers a “Robot-as-a-Service” model, enabling quick deployment with minimal modifications to existing warehouse structures.

Market Position & Traction

Corvus Robotics holds a strong position at the intersection of warehouse automation and robotics. Unlike traditional inventory management methods, which rely heavily on manual labor or fixed infrastructure, Corvus offers a flexible, infrastructure-free solution that integrates seamlessly into existing facilities. Their Corvus One drones give operators real-time visibility, higher accuracy, and reduced shrinkage—clear advantages in a market facing labor shortages and rising logistics costs. With proven deployments at major retailers and logistics providers, plus partnerships with technology leaders like Honeywell, Corvus is well-positioned to capture demand from large-scale warehouse operators. As supply chains continue to prioritize efficiency, Corvus Robotics stands out as a company capable of scaling automation in a practical and cost-effective way.

Corvus Robotics has achieved:

• Deployment with clients including MSI Surfaces, Staci Americas, and Quanta Computer, showing adoption in large-scale, high-volume settings.
• Productivity improvements: The system delivers higher labour productivity (shifting human staff to higher-value tasks), improves space utilization, reduces shrinkage, and improves inventory accuracy.
• Ease of integration: Corvus One works with or without warehouse management systems (WMS). For lighter integration, users can use CSV/XLS exports. Deployment can take less than a week.

Why Corvus Robotics Is a Company to Watch

Corvus Robotics is emerging as a pivotal player in the warehouse automation sector. The company’s ability to combine infrastructure-free drones with advanced computer vision makes it a practical solution for modern logistics challenges. Unlike robotics approaches that demand costly infrastructure changes, Corvus offers a plug-and-play system that integrates seamlessly into existing warehouse operations.

The company has already demonstrated traction with major retailers and technology partners, validating both the reliability and scalability of its solution. With strong backing from venture investors, a growing customer base, and proven performance in real-world deployments, Corvus is positioned to scale rapidly.

As global supply chains continue to wrestle with labor shortages, rising operational costs, and the need for real-time data, Corvus Robotics provides a clear value proposition. Their drones don’t just automate inventory—they enable warehouses to operate more efficiently, accurately, and cost-effectively. This makes Corvus not only a standout among warehouse automation startups but also a potential industry leader in reshaping logistics.