Jacobi Robotics, an AI startup specializing in robotics, has launched with a $5 million seed round and introduced a new motion planning technology that significantly reduces robot programming time. The startup, founded by roboticists and AI researchers from UC Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon University, includes Yahav Avigal, Lars Berscheid, Max Cao, Jeff Ichnowski, and Ken Goldberg.
The funding round was led by Moxxie Ventures with contributions from Foothill Ventures, Humba Ventures, and The House Fund, alongside existing investors Swift Ventures, Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, and LDV Partners.
Jacobi Robotics has developed an AI-powered motion planning technology that reduces computational time by a factor of 1000, enabling the deployment of robots in less than one day compared to the traditional one month. The company’s first product, the Jacobi Palletizer, aims to meet the growing demand for robotic palletizers in the logistics and trade sectors.
The company’s technology has shown a 95% reduction in deployment time and a 24% savings in project costs in production deployments. CEO and co-founder Max Cao highlighted that this innovation allows any software developer to implement production-ready robot applications, similar to the accessibility of machine learning models today.
The founders’ background from the Berkeley AI Research Lab has been instrumental in their rapid development of this commercially viable technology. Jacobi’s technology has already attracted significant demand, securing agreements with US manufacturers, robotics solutions providers, and Fortune 500 companies in various sectors, including electronics and consumer packaged goods.
The new financing will support Jacobi Robotics in scaling its operations to meet this demand.
