This $30M startup built a dog crate-sized robot factory that learns by watching humans

Although many robotics companies are creating human -shaped robots, or working to automat the whole factory, Microfactory Instead of trying to think bigger by building small.

San Francisco-based microfactory has created a common purpose about the size of my Siberian Huski dog crate, tabletop manufacturing kit. This compact factory includes two robotic weapons and can be trained through AI as well as human demonstrations.

“The common purpose robots are good, but it is not necessary [to] Humanoid be, “Microfactory co-founder and chief executive officer Igor Kulakov said,” We have decided to design robots from scratches that will still be common motives but not in human size, and thus, more simple, more simple, hardware and AI can be done. ”

Instead of selling individual robotic weapons, the microfactory system comes as a closed but transparent workstation, allowing users to visit the production process in real time. The Compact Factory-in-A-Box is designed for the right functions such as the Circuit Board Assembly, Material Soldering and simply routing. Users can guide the weapons physically through complex speeds and train robots-Kulakov says that the traditional manufacturing sequences work faster than the traditional-dee-programming.

Kulakov said, “Usually it takes a few hours, but thus, the robot better understands what it should do,” Kulakov said. “When you hire people, we still have to spend a week or a time like this people to instruct these people to oversee their work A

Kulakov’s experience with the traditional manufactured production helped spread the idea behind the microfactory.

He and his co-founder Victor Petrenco Bitlighter runs, it is a manufacturing business that produces portable lighting equipment for photographers. Kulakov said that it was difficult to train new staff on how the production process could be done properly. When progress in AI thinks this kind of work is possible to automatically, they decided to jump into the opportunity.

Kulakov and Petreno introduced the microfactory in 2024. It took them about five months to create their prototype. Now the company has hundreds of pride from customers that are trying to use machines for various applications, including electronics combining and even processing snails sent to France for the escort.

The microfactory has just raised a $ 1.5 million pre-beriz fund, which includes investors like the AI ​​company’s embrace face and investor-entrepreneur Naval Rabikant executives. Round gives Young Startup the price of $ 30 million to the price of a post.

Kulakov says the company plans to use funds to create and send its units. The company is currently converting its prototype into a commercial product that is expected to start shipping within about two months.

The company plans to rent some rent, including the ongoing AI models under the hood and continue its technology.

“Our growth is related to the hardware building, so we set the goal of increasing it 10x every year,” Kulakov says. “In the first year, we want to produce a thousand robots, [about] Three every day, and we have the ability to do it. Then, [we want to] Produce more. ”