Founders Fund, established in 2005 and headquartered in San Francisco, is a venture capital firm that invests across various stages and sectors globally. It focuses on companies developing transformative technologies, with a particular interest in science and engineering ventures. These include consumer internet, biotechnology, aerospace and transportation, energy, artificial intelligence, and health. The firm's investment size ranges from $500,000 to $300 million, providing maximum support with minimum interference to its portfolio companies. Founders Fund is known for its founder-friendly approach and has been an early backer of prominent companies like SpaceX, Palantir, Facebook, and Airbnb.
Biosphere engages in manufacturing commercial-scale fermentation products and robotic greenhouses.
Hextronics
Seed Round in 2024
Hextronics is an engineering company founded in 2020 by Curt Lary and based in Miami, Florida. The company specializes in developing battery-swapping drones tailored for the agriculture, government, and construction sectors, enabling enhanced aerial autonomy and continuous operations. Hextronics offers a diverse range of drones equipped with various features, along with drone accessories and computer vision algorithms, to support clients in automating their drone operations effectively. Through its innovative Drone-in-a-Box solution with Rapid Battery Exchange, Hextronics aims to streamline and improve the efficiency of drone applications across multiple industries.
Gecko Robotics
Series C in 2023
Gecko Robotics, Inc. specializes in industrial inspection services, focusing on the maintenance and protection of critical infrastructure through advanced robotic technologies. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company operates additional locations in Austin and Houston, Texas, as well as internationally in Seville, Spain, and Santiago, Chile. Gecko Robotics employs wall-climbing robots equipped with ultrasound transducers and high-definition cameras to conduct non-destructive testing in various industries, including power, oil and gas, and pulp and paper. By integrating these robotic solutions with an AI-driven data platform, Gecko provides clients with real-time insights into the health of their assets, enabling better decision-making and enhancing operational safety and efficiency.
Mendaera
Series A in 2023
Mendaera is a medtech startup dedicated to advancing healthcare technologies, particularly through the development of surgical robots and diagnostic tools. The company aims to digitize clinical judgment and technical expertise, ensuring that high-quality care is accessible to all patients in various care settings. Mendaera's platform, currently under development, integrates robotics, artificial intelligence, real-time imaging, and connectivity to facilitate precise and consistent point-of-care interventions. By aiding physicians in image acquisition and interpretation, Mendaera seeks to eliminate barriers in the patient journey, accelerate recovery, and reduce healthcare costs, thereby enhancing the capabilities of healthcare professionals in performing medical procedures effectively.
Giraffe360
Series A in 2022
Giraffe360 Limited is a London-based company that specializes in manufacturing robotic cameras for the real estate industry. Founded in 2016, Giraffe360 has developed a 360° photography camera that facilitates seamless property scans, enhancing the online experience for potential buyers. The camera captures virtual tours, wide-angle photographs, and detailed floor plans, which can be downloaded to support property listings. In addition to its camera technology, Giraffe360 offers cloud processing services, data storage, and a content management system for file management and analytics review. This combination of innovative hardware and software allows real estate agents to present properties more effectively, streamline the marketing process, and improve overall client engagement.
ISEE
Series B in 2022
ISEE, Inc. is an autonomous driving technology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, established in 2016. The company specializes in developing artificial intelligence-driven software and hardware solutions for self-driving vehicles, with a focus on modernizing the global supply chain. ISEE's autonomous yard trucks are utilized by major clients, including Maersk and various Fortune 100 retailers, to enhance the automation of logistics hubs. The company's proprietary technology excels at predicting human behavior and managing risk, allowing for improved safety, cost efficiency, and consistent performance in yard operations. By enabling seamless and safe operation of autonomous machines, ISEE aims to transform the logistics and supply chain industries.
Built Robotics
Series C in 2022
Built Robotics Inc. is a technology company focused on automating the construction industry through the development of AI guidance systems that transform heavy equipment into autonomous robots. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company integrates various sensors, including GPS, cameras, and Lidar, with advanced software to enable earthmoving equipment to operate autonomously. Built Robotics aims to address the workforce gap in the construction sector, particularly in the $300 billion solar industry, by automating repetitive tasks and facilitating the construction of critical infrastructure such as wind farms, oil and gas pipelines, and new housing developments.
Gecko Robotics
Series C in 2022
Gecko Robotics, Inc. specializes in industrial inspection services, focusing on the maintenance and protection of critical infrastructure through advanced robotic technologies. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company operates additional locations in Austin and Houston, Texas, as well as internationally in Seville, Spain, and Santiago, Chile. Gecko Robotics employs wall-climbing robots equipped with ultrasound transducers and high-definition cameras to conduct non-destructive testing in various industries, including power, oil and gas, and pulp and paper. By integrating these robotic solutions with an AI-driven data platform, Gecko provides clients with real-time insights into the health of their assets, enabling better decision-making and enhancing operational safety and efficiency.
Coco
Series A in 2021
Coco is a last-mile delivery service that utilizes human-operated sidewalk robots to transport goods from merchants to customers. Since its launch in February 2020, the company has established a presence in cities such as Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Austin, and Houston, serving thousands of customers weekly. Coco partners with both national restaurant brands, like SBE (Umami Burger), and local establishments, such as Bangkok West Thai and San Pedro Brewing Company, to enhance delivery efficiency. The service aims to reduce costs for merchant clients while ensuring consistent and reliable delivery quality, preserving the condition of food, and streamlining kitchen operations. By connecting local businesses with customers, Coco contributes to the development of supportive community-based delivery solutions.
AREVO
Venture Round in 2021
Arevo, located in Silicon Valley, California, specializes in the development of advanced technology for direct digital additive manufacturing of lightweight, ultra-strong composite parts intended for high-volume end-use applications. By integrating innovative materials, robust design and build software, and free motion robotics, Arevo facilitates true three-dimensional construction, advancing 3D printing into mainstream manufacturing. The company empowers designers and manufacturers to leverage the exceptional strength-to-weight ratio of composite materials across various sectors, including aerospace, defense, consumer electronics, transportation, and consumer goods. Arevo has achieved early success in producing continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) composite parts for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and is well-positioned to enhance additive manufacturing services globally.
Osaro
Series C in 2021
Osaro, Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that specializes in developing industrial-grade artificial intelligence software to automate manual picking and assembly tasks in distribution centers and manufacturing facilities. Founded in 2015, Osaro's solutions integrate advanced machine learning to enhance the efficiency of computer and robotic systems. The company's technology not only processes large amounts of unstructured data but also features powerful adaptive decision-making capabilities that allow machines to interact with their environment, learn from it, and achieve specific objectives. By improving the adaptability and intelligence of automated systems, Osaro aims to increase industrial productivity while enabling human workers to focus on more complex tasks, ultimately contributing to a safer workplace and enhanced supply chain resilience.
Multiply Labs
Series A in 2021
Multiply Labs specializes in the production of personalized pharmaceutical capsules that cater to the unique needs of individual patients. The company leverages a combination of pharmaceutical science and advanced robotics technology to create these tailor-made capsules. Its innovative approach includes operating a state-of-the-art robotic manufacturing facility, which allows for the efficient production of individualized drugs at a reduced cost. Multiply Labs stands out as a pioneer in the industry, being the first to introduce 3D printed capsules, thereby transforming how medications are customized to meet the specific metabolic requirements of patients.
Scale AI
Series E in 2021
Scale AI, Inc. is a data platform provider specializing in training and validation data for artificial intelligence applications. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, the company offers various annotation tools including Scale Image for image data, Scale Video for video data, Scale Text for text data, and Scale Document for intelligent document processing. Its advanced platform also includes Scale Nucleus, which helps manage user data. Scale AI's products support a wide range of sectors, such as autonomous vehicles, retail, conversational AI, and robotics, facilitating tasks like content moderation and transcription. By focusing on providing high-quality labeled data, Scale AI enables organizations to accelerate the development of AI technologies, allowing clients to concentrate on building innovative models rather than data preparation.
Ghost Autonomy
Funding Round in 2021
Ghost Autonomy is focused on making self-driving technology accessible to the consumer car market. The company develops a software-defined autonomous driving platform that leverages advancements in artificial intelligence to ensure highway autonomy is both safe and scalable. Its platform includes AI-enabled software that encompasses a perception system, planning and decision-making algorithms, and vehicle control software. This comprehensive offering allows automakers and suppliers to integrate autonomous driving capabilities into their vehicles efficiently, minimizing the need for extensive hardware modifications. Through its innovative approach, Ghost aims to facilitate the widespread adoption of autonomous driving technology in everyday vehicles.
Osaro
Series B in 2020
Osaro, Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that specializes in developing industrial-grade artificial intelligence software to automate manual picking and assembly tasks in distribution centers and manufacturing facilities. Founded in 2015, Osaro's solutions integrate advanced machine learning to enhance the efficiency of computer and robotic systems. The company's technology not only processes large amounts of unstructured data but also features powerful adaptive decision-making capabilities that allow machines to interact with their environment, learn from it, and achieve specific objectives. By improving the adaptability and intelligence of automated systems, Osaro aims to increase industrial productivity while enabling human workers to focus on more complex tasks, ultimately contributing to a safer workplace and enhanced supply chain resilience.
Gecko Robotics
Series B in 2019
Gecko Robotics, Inc. specializes in industrial inspection services, focusing on the maintenance and protection of critical infrastructure through advanced robotic technologies. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company operates additional locations in Austin and Houston, Texas, as well as internationally in Seville, Spain, and Santiago, Chile. Gecko Robotics employs wall-climbing robots equipped with ultrasound transducers and high-definition cameras to conduct non-destructive testing in various industries, including power, oil and gas, and pulp and paper. By integrating these robotic solutions with an AI-driven data platform, Gecko provides clients with real-time insights into the health of their assets, enabling better decision-making and enhancing operational safety and efficiency.
Ghost Autonomy
Series C in 2019
Ghost Autonomy is focused on making self-driving technology accessible to the consumer car market. The company develops a software-defined autonomous driving platform that leverages advancements in artificial intelligence to ensure highway autonomy is both safe and scalable. Its platform includes AI-enabled software that encompasses a perception system, planning and decision-making algorithms, and vehicle control software. This comprehensive offering allows automakers and suppliers to integrate autonomous driving capabilities into their vehicles efficiently, minimizing the need for extensive hardware modifications. Through its innovative approach, Ghost aims to facilitate the widespread adoption of autonomous driving technology in everyday vehicles.
ISEE
Series A in 2019
ISEE, Inc. is an autonomous driving technology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, established in 2016. The company specializes in developing artificial intelligence-driven software and hardware solutions for self-driving vehicles, with a focus on modernizing the global supply chain. ISEE's autonomous yard trucks are utilized by major clients, including Maersk and various Fortune 100 retailers, to enhance the automation of logistics hubs. The company's proprietary technology excels at predicting human behavior and managing risk, allowing for improved safety, cost efficiency, and consistent performance in yard operations. By enabling seamless and safe operation of autonomous machines, ISEE aims to transform the logistics and supply chain industries.
Osaro
Series B in 2019
Osaro, Inc. is a San Francisco-based company that specializes in developing industrial-grade artificial intelligence software to automate manual picking and assembly tasks in distribution centers and manufacturing facilities. Founded in 2015, Osaro's solutions integrate advanced machine learning to enhance the efficiency of computer and robotic systems. The company's technology not only processes large amounts of unstructured data but also features powerful adaptive decision-making capabilities that allow machines to interact with their environment, learn from it, and achieve specific objectives. By improving the adaptability and intelligence of automated systems, Osaro aims to increase industrial productivity while enabling human workers to focus on more complex tasks, ultimately contributing to a safer workplace and enhanced supply chain resilience.
Built Robotics
Series B in 2019
Built Robotics Inc. is a technology company focused on automating the construction industry through the development of AI guidance systems that transform heavy equipment into autonomous robots. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company integrates various sensors, including GPS, cameras, and Lidar, with advanced software to enable earthmoving equipment to operate autonomously. Built Robotics aims to address the workforce gap in the construction sector, particularly in the $300 billion solar industry, by automating repetitive tasks and facilitating the construction of critical infrastructure such as wind farms, oil and gas pipelines, and new housing developments.
Scale AI
Series C in 2019
Scale AI, Inc. is a data platform provider specializing in training and validation data for artificial intelligence applications. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, the company offers various annotation tools including Scale Image for image data, Scale Video for video data, Scale Text for text data, and Scale Document for intelligent document processing. Its advanced platform also includes Scale Nucleus, which helps manage user data. Scale AI's products support a wide range of sectors, such as autonomous vehicles, retail, conversational AI, and robotics, facilitating tasks like content moderation and transcription. By focusing on providing high-quality labeled data, Scale AI enables organizations to accelerate the development of AI technologies, allowing clients to concentrate on building innovative models rather than data preparation.
Gecko Robotics
Series A in 2018
Gecko Robotics, Inc. specializes in industrial inspection services, focusing on the maintenance and protection of critical infrastructure through advanced robotic technologies. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the company operates additional locations in Austin and Houston, Texas, as well as internationally in Seville, Spain, and Santiago, Chile. Gecko Robotics employs wall-climbing robots equipped with ultrasound transducers and high-definition cameras to conduct non-destructive testing in various industries, including power, oil and gas, and pulp and paper. By integrating these robotic solutions with an AI-driven data platform, Gecko provides clients with real-time insights into the health of their assets, enabling better decision-making and enhancing operational safety and efficiency.
CTRL-Labs
Series B in 2018
CTRL-Labs Corporation, founded in 2015 and based in New York City, specializes in developing non-invasive neural interface technology aimed at enhancing the interaction between humans and machines. The company's flagship product, the CTRL-kit, is a wireless wristband equipped with sensors that captures neural signals, allowing users to control digital devices through simple electronic pulses. This innovative platform is designed to support various applications in virtual reality, augmented reality, robotics, productivity, and clinical research. By providing developers with a software development kit (SDK) and application programming interface (API), CTRL-Labs enables the integration of neural control into their applications. The company's long-term vision focuses on fostering mass consumer adoption of neural interfaces, establishing a new standard for human-machine collaboration that transforms how users engage with technology.
Cobalt
Series A in 2018
Cobalt Robotics, Inc. designs and manufactures indoor security robots that collaborate with human security personnel. These robots are capable of patrolling various environments, including warehouses, schools, offices, hospitals, data centers, and museums, while detecting intruders and identifying anomalies. Equipped with advanced mapping and sensing technologies, as well as features for human-robot interaction, Cobalt's robots enhance security measures by providing real-time monitoring and response capabilities. Founded in 2016 by Erik Schluntz and Travis Deyle, the company is headquartered in San Mateo, California.
Built Robotics
Series A in 2017
Built Robotics Inc. is a technology company focused on automating the construction industry through the development of AI guidance systems that transform heavy equipment into autonomous robots. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, the company integrates various sensors, including GPS, cameras, and Lidar, with advanced software to enable earthmoving equipment to operate autonomously. Built Robotics aims to address the workforce gap in the construction sector, particularly in the $300 billion solar industry, by automating repetitive tasks and facilitating the construction of critical infrastructure such as wind farms, oil and gas pipelines, and new housing developments.
Brud
Seed Round in 2017
Brud Inc. is a transmedia studio based in Los Angeles, California, that specializes in developing digital and robotic characters for social media platforms. Founded in 2014 and formerly known as Miquela Media, the company focuses on creating virtual influencers by leveraging advancements in robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Brud aims to craft engaging character-driven narratives that resonate with audiences, utilizing technology to enhance storytelling in media. The studio's innovative approach has positioned it at the forefront of the intersection between technology and entertainment.
Plethora
Venture Round in 2015
Plethora Corporation, founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, specializes in precision machining services, particularly in CNC machining, milling, and turning. The company works with materials such as aluminum alloys, copper alloys, plastics, steels, and stainless steels. Plethora serves a diverse range of industries, including robotics, automotive, aerospace, and consumer packaged goods, primarily within the United States. Utilizing advanced robotics and proprietary software, Plethora transforms customer designs into custom parts and offers design feedback directly from clients' CAD models, enhancing the manufacturing process. Additionally, Plethora maintains an office in Marietta, Georgia, to support its operational capabilities.
Vicarious
Series B in 2014
Vicarious is an artificial intelligence company founded in 2010 by Dr. Dileep George and D. Scott Phoenix. The company develops neuro and cognitive science-based technologies aimed at creating general intelligence for robots by mimicking the functions of the human brain. Its innovative algorithmic architecture seeks to achieve human-level intelligence in areas such as vision, language, and motor control. Vicarious focuses on visual perception challenges, including recognition, segmentation, and scene parsing. This technology enables robot manufacturers to produce robots with enhanced intelligence and improved task efficiency.
Plethora
Series A in 2014
Plethora Corporation, founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, specializes in precision machining services, particularly in CNC machining, milling, and turning. The company works with materials such as aluminum alloys, copper alloys, plastics, steels, and stainless steels. Plethora serves a diverse range of industries, including robotics, automotive, aerospace, and consumer packaged goods, primarily within the United States. Utilizing advanced robotics and proprietary software, Plethora transforms customer designs into custom parts and offers design feedback directly from clients' CAD models, enhancing the manufacturing process. Additionally, Plethora maintains an office in Marietta, Georgia, to support its operational capabilities.
Plethora
Seed Round in 2013
Plethora Corporation, founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, specializes in precision machining services, particularly in CNC machining, milling, and turning. The company works with materials such as aluminum alloys, copper alloys, plastics, steels, and stainless steels. Plethora serves a diverse range of industries, including robotics, automotive, aerospace, and consumer packaged goods, primarily within the United States. Utilizing advanced robotics and proprietary software, Plethora transforms customer designs into custom parts and offers design feedback directly from clients' CAD models, enhancing the manufacturing process. Additionally, Plethora maintains an office in Marietta, Georgia, to support its operational capabilities.
Strateos
Seed Round in 2012
Strateos specializes in automating chemistry, biology, and tissue analysis in closed-loop robotic labs, accelerating drug discovery programs for pharmaceutical partners. By combining advanced robotics, software for imaging and analytics, and remote cloud laboratories, Strateos enables more rapid and efficient discovery of new drug candidates. The company was formed through a merger of Transcriptic, which developed the first robotic cloud laboratory platform for life science research, and 3Scan, which specialized in automating tissue analysis. Strateos aims to express life science methods as data, enabling infrastructure virtualization and driving the next generation of discovery with significant time and cost efficiencies.
Vicarious
Venture Round in 2012
Vicarious is an artificial intelligence company founded in 2010 by Dr. Dileep George and D. Scott Phoenix. The company develops neuro and cognitive science-based technologies aimed at creating general intelligence for robots by mimicking the functions of the human brain. Its innovative algorithmic architecture seeks to achieve human-level intelligence in areas such as vision, language, and motor control. Vicarious focuses on visual perception challenges, including recognition, segmentation, and scene parsing. This technology enables robot manufacturers to produce robots with enhanced intelligence and improved task efficiency.
Spot something off? Help us improve by flagging any incorrect or outdated information. Just email us at support@teaserclub.com. Your feedback is most welcome.