Engineered Arts restructures with $10 million to create humanoid robots

Engineering Artsa UK company making humanoid robots restructured as a US company and raised $10 million.

The reason it moved to the US is to expand its footprint and meet the growing demand in the US. And the company raised the new round to accelerate product refinement, production readiness, large-scale production and investment in advanced business systems.

This milestone brings Engineered Arts’ total funding to $16.2 million to date. And it is advancing its mission to integrate humanoid robots into everyday life with a human-centered approach to AI. Engineered Arts’ humanoid entertainment robots are designed to foster natural and intuitive interactions, enhancing experiences in businesses, science centers, theme parks and conventions with unforgettable, one-of-a-kind engagements.

Helium-3 Ventures led the Series A funding with additional participation from AppDirect CEO Nicolas Demarais, Belvoir Investments and a consortium of investors including ThirtySeven Holdings and Figueira Capital. Matthew Bellamy, frontman of English rock band Muse and partner at Helium-3 Ventures, will join Engineered Arts’ board as an observer.

“Our motto is simply: ‘Be wow!'” Will Jackson, CEO of Engineered Arts, said in a statement. “When you meet one of our robots, you will experience a connection with technology in the most human way possible. The saying goes, “The future is already here; you just haven’t seen it yet. We are changing that. Get ready to experience the power of embodied AI.”

Scaling robots

While many companies are just beginning to explore the development and commercialization of humanoid robotics, Engineered Arts has been a pioneer in this field for more than 20 years.

With a proven track record, the company has deployed over 200 robots worldwide and developed six separate humanoid robotic models, all ready to scale. Two years ago, footage of Ameca – his most advanced humanoid robot – went viral, captivating millions with videos showing him talking to researchers.

The new funding will allow Engineered Arts to make its full-size and desktop robots more accessible, launch a virtual platform for robot characters, and expand its cloud-based AI services to improve product features and fleet deployment. Focusing on the development of next-generation robot hardware, Engineered Arts will improve dexterity and movement to bring humanoid robots closer to everyday functionality.

In addition, large-scale support and regional offices will allow Engineered Arts to provide customization for specific use cases. The company plans to hire approximately 20 new employees for the Redwood City, Calif., location over the next year and a half, ranging from top-level executives and sales to software engineers, installation and support.

“We envision a world where the virtual integrates seamlessly into everyday life,” Jackson said in a statement. “Our robots are designed to support, entertain, inform and educate – delivering a truly human-centric vision for AI-driven technology.”

Captivating and engaging apps

Engineered Arts’ humanoid robots are already making an impact. They serve marquee customers like Madison Square Garden’s Sphere in Las Vegas, where they provide entertainment and drive customer engagement.

Pharmaceutical giant GSK uses them to connect with attendees at trade events. At the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, Ameca is at the center of an exhibit, “Chatbots Decoded: Exploring AI,” an immersive experience that takes visitors through the history, current landscape, and future possibilities of chatbots and AI.

“Ameca is a milestone in the history of AI, bringing together decades of work in robotics, natural language processing, large language models, and more,” Kirsten Tashev, vice president and chief curator and exhibitions officer at CHM, said in a statement. “This provides a highly engaging, almost mind-blowing experience for our visitors. With her lifelike expressions, dynamic personality, sharp sense of humor and remarkable ability to ‘read the room’, Ameca continually amazes and delights audiences of all ages – even younger visitors who are notoriously difficult to engage.”

Tashev points to the partnership with Engineered Arts as a significant contribution to the success of the exhibition.

“Interactive experiences need to be reliable, safe and magical in the education and entertainment industries. It’s a difficult task, but Engineered Arts masterfully handles all three,” said Tashev.