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Top Robotics Startups to Watch (and Work for) in 2023

July 14, 2023
      |      Kieran Ryan
Sanctuary AI human-like robot

My Background

Hi, I'm Kieran! I worked in startups for five years at On Deck and Wefunder. Some of my favorite things that I've worked on during my career include:

  • Wefunder Workaway: 12 founders working on a new idea, 7 days, 1 mansion in Hawaii. One of the teams we picked raised a Series A from Andreessen Horowitz, and two people who met during the trip got married...
  • On Deck: As employee #15, I contributed to the startup's growth from no revenue to a $20 million run rate in less than a year. I led the team that built the admission infrastructure to support and scale ~20 fellowships for founders, capital allocators, operators, and creators.
  • XX: Worked on a pre-YC accelerator program that invested $125K on an MFN SAFE into 8-10 teams per cohort.
  • ODX: Worked on a $100 million accelerator program that invested $125K for 7% into 100s of startups. We partnered with leaders like Flexport to build vertical industry tracks around supply chain & logistics, etc.
  • Ryan Marketing: Created an influencer marketing startup (2 million+ Instagram followers) during college with my twin brother and realized early that monetization for creators was broken. I learned a lot, and it paid enough to cover my schooling, rent, and meals.

The Methodology

I considered several data points to arrive at the startups selected on this list, including company traction, funding raised, valuation, and investors. From my initial list, I then referenced each startup with my personal network to narrow down the list to the one you see below. I take my credibility seriously, so I do not take any money from startups who want to be included on this list to remain impartial. If you want to understand my analysis of startups and prefer long-form content, read my research on the top startups of 2023 afterward.

Locus Robotics Logo

Locus Robotics

Warehouse robotics automation.

Headquarters

Wilmington, Massachusetts

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2014

Funding

$416 million

Valuation

~$2 billion

Traction

  • As of November 2022, Locus Robotics has 90 customers, up from 40 customers and 80 warehouses in February 2021, including Whiplash, Evo, DHL, Radial, and CEVA Logistics.
  • As of November 2022, Locus Robotics has 230 sites under contract, with as many as 500 LocusBots per site.
  • In September 2022, Locus Robotics surpassed its 1 billion picks and averaged 3 million per day.
Saildrone Logo

Saildrone

Real-time ocean data solutions.

Headquarters

Alameda, California

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2012

Funding

$190 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of July 2023, Saildrone has sailed ~1 million nautical miles and spent 25,000 days at sea collecting data, up from 500,000 nautical miles and 15,000 days at sea in October 2021.
  • As of July 2023, Saildrone can map the ocean to a depth of 23,000 feet.
  • Saildrone customers include researchers and professionals at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Stanford University, NASA’s Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC), Western Pacific Region, Research Institute for Global Change, JAMSTEC, the Institute of Marine Research (Norway).
Covariant Logo

Covariant

AI robotic solutions to automate pick-and-place processes at warehouses and fulfillment centers.

Headquarters

Berkeley, California

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2017

Funding

$222 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • Covariant customers include fulfillment companies like Otto Group, McKesson, Bpost, Radial, Active Ants, GXO, Würth, Brødrene Dahl, Obeta, and Capacity.
  • In 2022, Covariant reported 6x growth and landed its first grocery and home improvement customers.
Carbon Robotics Logo

Carbon Robotics

Robots to rid farms of weeds.

Headquarters

Seattle, Washington

Industry

Robotics, Agtech

Founded

2018

Funding

$67 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of July 2023, Carbon Robotics claims its LaserWeeder has a 1-3 year payback.
  • As of April 2023, Carbon Robotics has eliminated 500 million weeds across 40 crops.
  • As of April 2023, Carbon Robotics is on track to deliver the LaserWeeder to farms across 17 US states.
  • As of April 2023, Carbon Robotics reported that farmers using the LaserWeeder have reduced control costs by up to 80%.
Scythe Robotics Logo

Scythe Robotics

Robots for a greener world.

Headquarters

Boulder, Colorado

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2017

Funding

$60.6 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of January 2023, Scythe Robotics reported 7,500 reservations for its M.52 mower, up from 5,000 in May 2022.
AMP Robotics logo

AMP Robotics

Recycling reimagined.

Headquarters

Louisville, Colorado

Industry

Robotics, Hardware

Founded

2014

Funding

$175.1 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • AMP Robotics’ AI platform identified 75 billion objects in 2022 and deployed hundreds of sorting devices to increase recycling rates and landfill division.
  • AMP Robotics customers include businesses, governments, and NGOs like Sonoco, Caglia Environmental, Napa Recycling & Waste Services, FCC Medio Ambiente, Recycling and Disposal Solutions of Virginia, Evergreen, Single Steam Recyclers, Waste Connections, and Emmet Country.
Cobalt Robotics Logo

Cobalt Robotics

Seamless robotics safety for all situations.

Headquarters

San Mateo, California

Industry

Robotics, Hardware

Founded

2016

Funding

$53.3 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • Cobalt Robotics was named a 2017 ASIS Accolades Winner and Judges Choice.
  • Cobalt Robotics serves clients in various sectors spanning Technology, Defense, Finance, and Manufacturing.
Gideon Logo

Gideon

Flexible, autonomous material handling solutions automating the most complex operations.

Headquarters

Zagreb, Croatia

Industry

Hardware, Robotics, 3D Printing

Founded

2017

Funding

$37.5 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of June 2023, Gideon has two robotic solutions, Trey, an autonomous forklift, and Casey, a complete solution for autonomous and optimized case picking.
  • Gideon customers include Koch Disruptive Technologies, Georgia-Pacific, DB Schenker, Rite-Hite, Digital Ventures, Atlantic Grupa, and Tokic.
Robco Logo

Robco

Modular industrial robots.

Headquarters

München, Bayern, Germany

Industry

Robotics, Hardware

Founded

2020

Funding

$17.5 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of December 2022, typical deployments start at 10 modular machines.
Neubility Logo

Neubility

Connecting the physical world with robotic autonomy.

Headquarters

Seoul, Korea

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2017

Funding

$26.7 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of March 2023, Neubility has 50 security robots in circulation and plans to ramp it up to 400 by the end of the year.
Venti Technologies Logo

Venti Technologies

Automating industrial and logistic hubs.

Headquarters

Weston, Massachusetts

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2018

Funding

$36.8 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of March 2023, Venti Technologies disclosed its pilots are not yet fully autonomous, with drivers behind the wheel.
  • One of Venti Technologies' customers is PSA Corporation, which has 60 ports under management.
Robust.AI Logo

Robust.AI

We make robots work for people.

Headquarters

Palo Alto, California

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2019

Funding

$42.5 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • In April 2023, Robust.AI raised $20 million to scale robot deliveries for its pilot customers.
Pickle Robot Logo

Pickle Robot

Warehouse robots.

Headquarters

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2018

Funding

$37.5 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of July 2023, Pickle Robot claims its warehouse robots can unload non-palletized goods at 600+ PPH (picks per hour) and set up in <10 minutes.
  • As of November 2022, Pickle Robot reported its warehouse robots unload 10,000+ packages monthly at customer sites.
Veo Robotics Logo

Veo Robotics

Responsive machines for flexible factories.

Headquarters

Waltham, Massachusetts

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2016

Funding

$57 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • In October 2022, Veo Robotics announced its new and improved high-performance FreeMove 2.0 Engine.
LexxPluss Logo

LexxPluss

Next-generation conveyance system for manufacturing and logistics sites.

Headquarters

Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2020

Funding

$10.8 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of March 2023, LexxPluss noted their differentiation is larger payloads – targeting autonomous mobile robots with a payload of up to 500 KG.
  • As of March 2023, LexxPluss’ main customers are the logistics and automotive verticals.
ANYbotics Logo

ANYbotics

Autonomous-legged robots for industrial inspection.

Headquarters

Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2016

Funding

$72.3 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of July 2023, ANYbotics has 110 customers, including Stadler, Vale, Petronas, Equinor, Siemens Energy, Eni, Schneider Electric, and W. R. Grace and Company.
  • As of May 2023, ANYbotics has $150 million in pre-orders for its newest robot, ANYmal X.
Sanctuary AI Logo

Sanctuary AI

Creating human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots.

Headquarters

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2018

Funding

$89.7 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • In May 2023, Sanctuary AI unveiled its robot, Phoenix, a general-purpose 5’7” robot with a maximum payload of 55 lbs and a maximum speed of 3 mph.
  • In November 2022, Sanctuary AI was awarded a 30 million SIF (Strategic Innovation Fund) Contribution from the Government of Canada.
Agility Robotics Logo

Agility Robotics

Building robots for good.

Headquarters

Corvallis, Oregon

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2015

Funding

$178.8 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • In March 2023, Agility Robotics’ first robot, Digit, completed four full days of autonomous demonstrations in a warehouse replica work cell at ProMat.
Apptronik Logo

Apptronik

Building robots that work with people.

Headquarters

Austin, Texas

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2016

Funding

$24.8 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of July 2023, Apptronik has built 5 robots: Astra (upper-body humanoid robot), Draco (liquid-cooled, high-performance bipedal platform), Valkyrie (robot built during 2012-2013 DARPA Robotics Challenge), Dreamer (developed by MEKA for UT Austin’s HCRL), and Hume (a point foot bi-ped robot).
  • As of June 2022, Apptronik has delivered several robots to Fortune 50 customers.
Figure Logo

Figure AI

AI robotics company.

Headquarters

Sunnyvale, California

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2022

Funding

$70 million

Valuation

$400 million+

Traction

  • Figure AI is building a human-like robot that is 5’6” and weighs 60 KG, can handle a 20 kg payload, has a 5-hour runtime, moves at 1.2 m/s, and is electrically powered.
  • Figure AI posted its roadmap on its website here.
Serve Robotics Logo

Serve Robotics

Self-driving delivery.

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Industry

Robotics, Food Delivery

Founded

2021

Funding

$23 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • In May 2023, Serve Robotics announced it’ll deploy 2,000+ robots via Uber Eats in multiple markets across the US.
  • As of December 2021, Serve Robotics has completed 10,000+ contactless deliveries from 100+ merchants in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Kewazo Logo

Kewazo

Digitizing construction with robots and data.

Headquarters

Garching, Bavaria, Germany

Industry

Robotics, Construction

Founded

2018

Funding

$19.1 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of July 2023, Kewazo claims its LIFTBOT can save 40-70% of labor costs (based on 28 construction projects) and be installed in 20 minutes.
  • Kewazo customers include Bassenberg & Schwarting GmbH, Bilfinger arnholdt GmbH, and MJ Gerüst.
Toggle Robotics Logo

Toggle Robotics

Changing how the world builds.

Headquarters

New York, New York

Industry

Robotics, Construction

Founded

2016

Funding

$14.8 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • In 2022, Toggle Robotics launched a robotics and automation-focused rebar facility in a 50,000-square-foot prefab facility that serves customers in renewable energy, infrastructure, and urban high-rise segments.
Swap Robotics Logo

Swap Robotics

100% electric robots for solar vegetation cuts and snow plowing.

Headquarters

Kitchener, Ontario, Canada

Industry

Robotics, Agtech

Founded

2019

Funding

$7 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • As of July 2023, Swap Robotics claims its solar vegetation-cutting robots result in a 20% savings from day one for customers.
  • As of February 2023, Swap Robotics has $9 million in signed contracts for the next three years.
Percepto Logo

Percepto

Harnessing robotics for autonomous inspection.

Headquarters

Austin, Texas

Industry

Robotics, Drones

Founded

2014

Funding

$139.5 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • Percepto customers include Johnson Controls, Koch Industries, Certis, FPL, Delek, ADT, SK Telecom, and Enel Group.
Dexory Logo

Dexory

Real time data for inventory management using autonomous robots.

Headquarters

London, England, United Kingdom

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2015

Funding

$37.9 million

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • Dexory customers include Huboo, Menzies Aviation, Maersk, and Denso.
Realtime Robotics Logo

Realtime Robotics

Automating automation.

Headquarters

Boston, Massachusetts

Industry

Robotics

Founded

2016

Funding

$71.3 million

Valuation

$130 million

Traction

  • In February 2023, Realtime Robotics became an official supplier for BMW Group.
  • In September 2022, Siemens became a customer of Realtime Robotics.
  • In June 2022, Realtime Robotics teamed up with Kawasaki to automate its industrial robots’ programming, deployment, and control.
Polymath Robotics Logo

Polymath Robotics

General autonomy for industrial vehicles.

Headquarters

San Francisco, California

Industry

Robotics, Agtech

Founded

2021

Funding

Undisclosed

Valuation

Undisclosed

Traction

  • In June 2023, Polymath Robotics announced an investment from Samsara Ventures for an undisclosed amount.
  • In July 2022, Polymath Robotics announced their product on YC Launch, which included a product demo and example application.

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