IFR data: Chinese factories installed 243K+ robots in 2021, up 45% YoY and around 50% of the global total, adapting to a changing workforce and rising wages (Jason Douglas/Wall Street Journal)

Paul Sawers / TechCrunch:
Drata, which uses automation to help companies adhere to compliance frameworks, raised a $200M Series C led by Iconiq Growth and GGV Capital at a $2B valuation  —  Drata, a security compliance and automation platform that helps companies adhere to frameworks such as SOC 2 and GDPR …

Jules Roscoe / VICE:
The NLRB files a complaint against Amazon CEO Andy Jassy for allegedly violating labor law with comments he made to CNBC and Bloomberg earlier in 2022  —  Andy Jassy told CNBC that Amazon thinks employees would be “better off” without a union.  A new NLRB complaint alleges that violated labor law.

Jane Zhang / Bloomberg:
Meituan reports Q3 revenue up 28.2% YoY to ~$8.7B and ~$170M in profit, as its “core local commerce” segment, including food delivery and hotels, rose 24.6% YoY  —  Meituan posted a 28% surge in revenue, affirming resilient demand in China for takeaway from people confined to home during the pandemic.

Christopher Mims / Wall Street Journal:
International Federation of Robotics: 500K+ industrial robots were installed in 2021, an all-time high, bringing the number of global installations to 3.5M  —  Robots are spreading at a record pace, from their traditional strongholds like making automobiles into nearly every other human endeavor

Brian Heater / TechCrunch:
Bright Machines, which automates manufacturing tasks with AI and robotics, raised a $100M Series B and $32M in debt after pulling its SPAC deal in December 2021  —  In May of last year, Bright Machines announced plans to embrace the SPAC craze with a merger deal that valued the Bay Area-based manufacturing firm at $1.6 billion.

Thomas Claburn / The Register:
Researchers find industrial robot exposure among Chinese workers led to a 7.5% decline in employment, 9% drop in hourly wages, and 14% increase in hours worked  —  Exposed to ‘droids?  Symptoms may include disinterest, unemployment, lower pay, along with a bit of depopulation