What Highlanders does

Highlanders (株式会社Highlanders) is a Tokyo-based robotics company founded in May 2023 that develops AI-powered quadruped and humanoid robots for industrial, government, and infrastructure customers. The company operates three core hardware products: HLQ PRO, a ~60kg heavy-lift quadruped capable of transporting up to 30kg of equipment through hazardous terrain using reinforcement learning-based autonomous navigation and LiDAR/3D camera perception; HLQ Air, an 8.5kg ultra-lightweight quadruped with machine learning-based adaptive gait control for narrow spaces and research use; and HL NINJA, a ~140cm humanoid with 19 degrees of freedom, dual-arm mechanism, and Vision-Language-Action (VLA) integration enabling generative AI-driven natural language dialogue. A fourth offering, AI Simulation, supports in-house training and testing of robot control systems. All hardware is developed at an in-house factory in Tokorozawa, Saitama.

The business model is hardware-sales-led, currently distributed exclusively through a beta release program accessed via Google Form-based demo requests. Go-to-market is sales-led with separate corporate sales (法人営業) and government sales (官公庁営業) teams targeting six verticals: manufacturing, logistics, construction/infrastructure, festivals/events, universities/research, and firefighting/defense. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company employs 31 people including contractors (4 executives, 21 engineers, 1 designer, 2 product managers, 2 sales, 3 customer success). It operates a Tokyo headquarters and the Tokorozawa R&D and factory site, is privately held with no disclosed external institutional funding, and has not reported revenue.

Name

Highlanders

Legal name

株式会社Highlanders

Website

https://highlanders.co.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Highlanders (株式会社Highlanders) is a Tokyo-based robotics company founded in 2023 that develops AI-powered quadruped (HLQ PRO, HLQ AIR) and humanoid (HL NINJA) robots, plus an AI simulation platform, targeting enterprise and government customers in manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure, defense, and research applications.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Robotics

akta.pro primary industry

Humanoid & General-Purpose Robots (HDAAAIAJ)

Keywords

• Humanoid robots
• Quadruped robots
• AI robot control
• Reinforcement learning
• Industrial automation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Robotics Hardware Sales: Sale of proprietary quadruped and humanoid robots (HLQ PRO, HLQ AIR, HL NINJA) to enterprise and government customers. Products currently in beta release program with active field demonstrations with government and infrastructure companies.
2. Automation Systems & Simulation Services: Services related to automation system enhancement and robot simulator provision as part of core business activities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Highlanders designs, develops, and manufactures AI-powered robots — including the HLQ PRO heavy-duty quadruped robot, the HLQ AIR lightweight quadruped robot, and the HL NINJA AI humanoid robot — as well as an AI Simulation platform for developing and testing robot control systems. The robots use reinforcement learning and AI gait control for autonomous operation in hazardous environments, serving enterprise and government customers in manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure inspection, and disaster response.

Product overview

Highlanders develops a portfolio of AI-powered robots comprising three main product lines: the HL NINJA humanoid robot for complex task automation in manufacturing, logistics, infrastructure, and disaster response; the HLQ PRO heavy-duty quadruped robot for transporting equipment in hazardous environments; and the HLQ Air lightweight quadruped robot optimized for research and narrow-space applications. The company also provides AI Simulation technology for robot training and testing. All products incorporate AI control systems for autonomous operation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HLQ PRO: Heavy-duty quadruped robot for transporting equipment in dangerous uneven terrain, with maximum 30kg payload capacity and AI autonomous control
• HLQ AIR
• HL NINJA
• AI SIMULATION

Products and services

• HLQ PRO Heavy-duty AI quadruped robot (approximately 60kg, 12 DoF) designed to transport up to 30kg of equipment such as measurement instruments and cameras in dangerous, uneven terrain. Features reinforcement learning-based autonomous navigation, LiDAR and 3D camera obstacle detection, dust/water resistance, robust metal body, up to 4 hours continuous operation, Wi-Fi/LTE wireless control, and a mount for robot arms or other equipment. Currently used in active field trials with government agencies and infrastructure enterprises.
• HLQ AIR Ultra-lightweight 8.5kg high-mobility quadruped robot (12 DoF, electric actuators) with AI-based adaptive gait control using machine learning. Reaches up to 3m/s, overcomes steps and slopes, with 60-90 minutes runtime and a compact backpack-sized form factor. Supports 3.5kg payload at slow walking and 2.0kg at normal walking, with Wi-Fi wireless control. Targeted at narrow spaces, outdoor environments, and research applications.
• HL NINJA Japanese-made AI humanoid robot (approximately 140cm tall, 19 degrees of freedom) with a dual-arm mechanism and 5-finger gripper handling up to 3kg. Features generative AI-powered natural language dialogue, autonomous task execution, human-robot collaboration, modular design, and collision detection with automatic braking. Equipped with 3D stereo cameras, LiDAR, VLA integration, and SDK/API for developer extension. Designed for manufacturing lines, logistics warehouses, infrastructure inspection, and disaster response.
• AI Simulation Robot simulation technology platform used for developing, training, and testing AI robot control systems, including gait control and task execution behaviors, in virtual environments.

Quantifiable outcome

• HLQ PRO transports up to 30kg of heavy equipment in dangerous environments, reducing human risk
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Unitree Robotics: Chinese robotics company shipping both quadruped (Go1/Go2/B2) and humanoid (H1/G1) platforms with RL-based control at aggressive price points. Most direct head-to-head competitor to Highlanders' HLQ PRO, HLQ AIR, and HL NINJA lineup.
• 1X Technologies: Norwegian humanoid (Neo) developer backed by OpenAI and EQT. Direct competitor to HL NINJA in the AI-powered humanoid space.
• Agility Robotics: US humanoid (Digit) developer focused on logistics and warehouse automation. Direct competitor to HL NINJA in the humanoid-for-industrial-labor category.
• Figure AI: US humanoid (Figure 01/02) startup targeting general-purpose labor automation in manufacturing. Competitor to HL NINJA in humanoid-for-manufacturing use cases.
• Boston Dynamics: US pioneer of quadruped (Spot) and humanoid (Atlas) robots targeting industrial inspection and logistics. Competes with Highlanders in the same enterprise/government customer segments for hazardous-environment automation.
• ANYbotics: Swiss maker of ANYmal quadruped robots for industrial inspection in hazardous environments (oil & gas, power, mining). Closest peer to HLQ PRO's value proposition of autonomous heavy-payload inspection in dangerous terrain.

Broad incumbents

• Kawasaki Heavy Industries (Robotics Division): Established Japanese industrial robot manufacturer with deep manufacturing-customer relationships. Competes with Highlanders in Japanese factory automation and could acquire or partner with the company.
• Sony Group (Robotics initiatives): Japanese conglomerate with active robotics R&D (e.g., quadruped/entertainment robotics). Represents a domestic incumbent threat and a potential strategic acquirer for Japanese AI-robotics IP.

Emerging players

• Preferred Networks: Japanese deep-learning and robotics company developing autonomous transportation and industrial AI. Closest Japan-based AI-robotics peer and potential domestic competitor to Highlanders' AI control stack.
• Sanctuary AI: Canadian humanoid (Phoenix) developer with a Carbon AI control platform for dexterous manipulation. Comparable to Highlanders' VLA-integrated approach for HL NINJA.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highlanders-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highlanders