The field of robotics is experiencing a wave of innovation with numerous startups leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize various industries. These top robotics startups are developing cutting-edge technologies that promise to transform the way we live and work. As the demand for intelligent and efficient robotic systems grows, it is essential to keep an eye on the most promising players in the market. In this article, we present a curated list of the top 10 robotics startups to watch — each pushing the boundaries of what is possible with AI and robotics technology.
Best Robotics Startups to Follow
Every year, new startups pull to the forefront of their industry through exciting innovation, tech, and industry-disrupting business models. We’ve rounded up the top robotics startups of 2024 that startup-lovers, investors, and aspiring entrepreneurs should follow.
Disclaimer: With so many exciting robotics startups launching and growing worldwide, we aren’t able to cover them all. Furthermore, the startups that are listed below are not officially ranked and are listed in no particular order.
1. Voliro
- Location: Zurich, Switzerland
- Founder(s): Dr. Marius Fehr, Mina Kamel, Timo Müller
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Seed, $2.2 Million
- Investors Include: BackBone Ventures, Venture Kick, Alpana Ventures
Voliro is a drone startup that produces autonomous flying drones for the construction industry. These drones are designed to access hard-to-reach locations within a construction site in order to perform safety and integrity inspections. Also worth noting is the fact that Voliro recently began working with Aerodyne Partners with the hopes that the partnership will allow Volirio to begin selling its drones worldwide.
2. AMP
- Location: Louisville, Colorado
- Founders: James Bailey, Matanya Horowitz
- Founded In: 2015
- Funding: Series C, $178 Million
- Investors Include: Sequoia Capital, Blue Earth Capital, Range Ventures
Recycling remains a vital part of protecting the environment from waste and pollution, but separating recyclable materials from those that cannot be recycled has long been one of the recycling industry’s biggest challenges. To help overcome this challenge, AMP has developed AI-powered robots that are able to analyze waste material based on shape, color, and other criteria in order to automatically separate recyclable materials.
3. ANYbotics
- Location: Zurich, Switzerland
- Founder(s): Andreas Lauber, Christian Gehring, Hanspeter Fässler, Marco Hutter, Peter Fankhauser, Roland Siegwart
- Founded In: 2016
- Funding: Series B, $56 Million
- Investors Include: Bessemer Venture Partners, Walden Catalyst, Verve Ventures
Founded in 2016, ANYbotics is a company that offers robots designed to help organizations perform industrial inspections in hazardous areas. In 2021, ANYbotics decided to equip its robots with Velodyne Lidar sensors to improve their inspection capabilities. This innovation has investors excited about the company’s future.
4. Figure
- Location: Sunnyvale, California
- Founder(s): Brett Adcock
- Founded In: 2022
- Funding: Series B, $845 Million
- Investors Include: NVIDIA, Aliya Capital Partners, Microsoft
Figure is an AI robotics startup that has developed a versatile humanoid robot named Figure 01. This robot is designed to address labor shortages and perform tasks that are undesirable or unsafe for humans. By combining human-like agility with advanced AI technology, Figure 01 aims to surpass the capabilities of task-specific robots and provide assistance in various industries like manufacturing, logistics, warehousing, and retail — ultimately helping to streamline global supply chain operations.
5. Rapid Robotics
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Founder(s): Jordan Kretchmer, Ruddick Lawrence
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Series B, $54.2 Million
- Investors Include: New Enterprise Associates, Tiger Global Management, 468 Capital
Founded in 2019, Rapid Robotics produces robots designed to help companies overcome labor shortages by automating common machine operator tasks. Rapid Robotics robots perform tasks such as machine molding, pad printing, heat staking, and other tasks typically performed by a machine operator.
6. Bedrock Ocean Exploration
- Location: Brooklyn, New York
- Founder(s): Anthony DiMare, Charles Chiau
- Founded In: 2020
- Funding: Series A, $35.5 Million
- Investors Include: Northzone, R7 Partners, Quiet Capital
It is estimated that up to 80% of the world’s oceans remain unmapped and unexplored by humans. To help humanity learn more about a part of the world we still know so little about, Bedrock Ocean Exploration produces autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) designed to perform high-resolution marine surveys and map unexplored areas of the ocean floor.
7. Company Six
- Location: Boulder, Colorado
- Founder(s): Andy Savage, Jim Booth, Jon Carroll, Jose Felvie Condrillon, Josh Savage, Paul Berberian
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Series Unknown, $6.9 Million
- Investors Include: Techstars, Spider Capital, Page One Ventures
Company Six is a startup that creates reconnaissance drones for first responders and other professionals working in high-risk environments. These drones allow the user to thoroughly scan a given terrain or structure for potential dangers before they enter the area themselves. After being founded in 2019, Company Six secured $4.6 million in funding in July 2020.
8. Robust AI
- Location: Silicon Valley (San Carlos, California)
- Founder(s): Anthony Jules, Gary Marcus, Henrik Christensen, Mohamed Amer, Rodney Brooks
- Founded In: 2019
- Funding: Series A, $42.5 Million
- Investors Include: Playground, Jazz Venture Partners, Future Ventures
Founded in 2019, Robust AI is a company that works on the software side of robotics to produce software designed to reduce the time that it takes to set up and implement a new robotic system. By leveraging a cognitive engine and AI technology, Robust AI is able to help organizations set up robotic systems in a way that optimizes efficiency and reliability.
9. Vecna Robotics
- Location: Waltham, Massachusetts
- Founder(s): Daniel Patt, Daniel Theobald
- Founded In: 2018
- Funding: Series C, $128.5 Million
- Investors Include: Highland Capital Partners, Tiger Global Management, Impulse VC
Vecna Robotics produces self-learning autonomous mobile robots designed to help companies automate a wide range of manual tasks. What sets these robots apart from the competition, though, is their ability to automatically adapt to workplace changes and new challenges.
10. Covariant
- Location: Emeryville, California
- Founder(s): Peter Chen, Pieter Abbeel, Rocky Duan, Tianhao Zhang
- Founded In: 2017
- Funding: Series C, $222 Million
- Investors Include: Index Ventures, Amplify Partners, Northgate Capital
Covariant is a robotics startup that focuses on developing AI-powered robotic solutions for the logistics and supply chain industries. The company’s primary product is the Covariant Brain — a universal AI platform that enables robots to perceive, reason, and act autonomously in complex and dynamic environments. By equipping industrial robots with advanced computer vision, machine learning, and motion planning capabilities, Covariant aims to automate various tasks in warehouses and distribution centers like picking, placing, and sorting objects.
