Bota Systems raises $2.5 million in seed round to ‘give robots sense of touch’
Bota Systems, a pioneer in advancing robotics with force torque sensing solutions, announces the completion of a $2.5 million seed round led by Marathon Venture Capital, along with the participation of angel investors.
As part of the round, Bota Systems will grow the team to address increasing demand by leading research labs and manufacturing companies globally, along with accelerating its ambitious product roadmap towards delivering a superior robotic platform with outstanding sensitivity.
Embracing the Robotic Revolution
During the last decades, a sequence of technological advancements enabled robots to swim, fly, walk, crawl and replicate human work with astonishing speed and precision.
Accurate data coming from onboard sensors, with the integration of AI, allows the automation of tasks that humans could not even imagine before. Robots now play a pivotal role in modern manufacturing, with over half a million new industrial robots installed last year.
While their range of tasks performed is growing, there is one fundamental aspect where robots lag behind: the sense of touch.
Unlike humans, who can adapt movements based on sensory feedback, robots still require any movements to be predefined. That means the robot’s controller should know all geometrical data within its workspace with very high precision.
If an item is not exactly where it should be or its shape is slightly different, a robot fails to adapt or just breaks. To unlock the next stage of the robotics revolution, we need to find ways to enable physical interactions and dynamic movements in robots.
Bota Systems’ Offering
Zurich-based Bota Systems gives robots a sense of touch, unlocking new skills and previously impossible tasks.
Its platform, which consists of advanced in-house developed force torque sensors with built-in electronics and proprietary AI, can equip robotic arms with flexibility and adaptability, enabling for the first time use cases such as polishing complex surfaces, assembling delicate parts, or performing interactive tasks.
Indicatively, Bota Systems empowers autonomous robots for electric vehicle charging, telepresence of humans (humanoid robots), teaching polishing, sanding, and grinding by hand guiding, among others.
Bota Systems already serves hundreds of customers in over 30 countries, and collaborates with a network of distributors and robotic integrators across EMEA, the Americas and APAC.
Many roboticists have been using Bota Systems technology because it is fast to setup, it can retrofit their robotic installation while enabling new functions, and is extremely robust, able to work 24 hours a day.
Investment Round Highlights
Today, Bota Systems announces the completion of a $2.5 million seed investment round led by Marathon Venture Capital with the participation of angel investors. This investment comes as a result of the increased adoption of the company’s technology for enabling force-sensitive robots.
As part of the round, Bota Systems will grow the team to address increasing demand by leading research labs and manufacturing companies globally, along with delivering its ambitious product roadmap towards a superior robotic platform.
In the context of the investment round, Klajd Lika, CEO of Bota Systems, says: “We are on a mission to give robots the sense of touch and we keep being amazed to see how many different use cases our platform is serving across geographies and sectors. We decided to double down our efforts to serve more leading customers globally and further accelerate our ambitious product roadmap.”
Ilias Patsiaouras, CTO of Bota Systems, says: “We are excited to announce Bota Systems’ $2.5 million funding round. This investment fuels our mission towards wider robot adoption across the globe by enhancing their capabilities to sense and interact with their workspace.”
George Tziralis, partner at Marathon Venture Capital, says: “Robotic arms move from point A to point B with phenomenal consistency and precision. Still, if an item is not exactly where it should be or its shape proves slightly different, robots fail.
“Bota Systems equips robots with the sense of touch, bringing us closer to a robotic revolution, and we are excited to be working with Klajd, Ilias and team to help make this a reality.”
Roadmap
The capital injection will help strengthen Bota Systems’ global footprint and introduce robotic solutions to address labor shortages in manufacturing, particularly in areas like polishing, assembly, and handling.
In that spirit, Bystems Systems is partnering with distributors, robotic integrators and solution providers, and is looking forward to welcoming new partners. A number of career opportunities and internships will be available online on the career page on the website, says the company.