ETtechUS-based artificial intelligence (AI) startup Pivot Robots, which develops software for robotic arms, has raised an undisclosed amount of money from early-stage venture fund NuVentures.
The funds will be used for team expansion, particularly in the areas of motion planning and computer vision. It will also be used for supporting the testing of more robots and the establishment of an office space, cofounder Siddharth Girdhar told ET.
Pivot Robots, founded in 2023 by Carnegie Mellon University graduates Siddharth Girdhar and Vignesh Rajmohan, leverages AI vision control software to automate industrial robots. It assists manufacturers in automating their most labour-intensive tasks.
The company's initial product focuses on the grinding of metal parts.
“At Pivot Robots, we are making software for robot arms to help manufacturers automate some of their most labour-intensive tasks,” said Girdhar. “We are starting by focusing on the use case of surface finishing, especially grinding of metals after they come out of foundries. These are very dangerous tasks, and ideally speaking, no human should be doing it. So, we think it's the perfect use case for robots to come in.”
While currently focused on the US market, Pivot Robots plans to expand into large manufacturing hubs like India within the next two years.
Bengaluru-based NuVentures, founded by Venk Krishnan of technology and IT services company NuWare, has previously backed companies such as insurtech startup Acko, coffee chain Third Wave Coffee, and data analytics firm Mu Sigma.
It has backed RagaAI, a firm specialising in AI testing and safety founded by former Ola Electric and NVIDIA executive Gaurav Agarwal.
“In Sid (Siddharth Girdhar) and Vignesh (Rajmohan), I found two passionate entrepreneurs who had a clear vision and a disruptive way to improve efficiency in the manufacturing sector - I believe that most of the innovations in AI will come out of the top institutions in US and India where lot of research work is done,” said Krishnan.
The funds will be used for team expansion, particularly in the areas of motion planning and computer vision. It will also be used for supporting the testing of more robots and the establishment of an office space, cofounder Siddharth Girdhar told ET.
The startup, part of Y Combinator's 2024 cohort, had previously raised funding from both Y Combinator and another US-based fund.
Pivot Robots, founded in 2023 by Carnegie Mellon University graduates Siddharth Girdhar and Vignesh Rajmohan, leverages AI vision control software to automate industrial robots. It assists manufacturers in automating their most labour-intensive tasks.
The company's initial product focuses on the grinding of metal parts.
“At Pivot Robots, we are making software for robot arms to help manufacturers automate some of their most labour-intensive tasks,” said Girdhar. “We are starting by focusing on the use case of surface finishing, especially grinding of metals after they come out of foundries. These are very dangerous tasks, and ideally speaking, no human should be doing it. So, we think it's the perfect use case for robots to come in.”
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While currently focused on the US market, Pivot Robots plans to expand into large manufacturing hubs like India within the next two years.
Bengaluru-based NuVentures, founded by Venk Krishnan of technology and IT services company NuWare, has previously backed companies such as insurtech startup Acko, coffee chain Third Wave Coffee, and data analytics firm Mu Sigma.
It has backed RagaAI, a firm specialising in AI testing and safety founded by former Ola Electric and NVIDIA executive Gaurav Agarwal.
“In Sid (Siddharth Girdhar) and Vignesh (Rajmohan), I found two passionate entrepreneurs who had a clear vision and a disruptive way to improve efficiency in the manufacturing sector - I believe that most of the innovations in AI will come out of the top institutions in US and India where lot of research work is done,” said Krishnan.
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