Colin Angle seeks $30M for controversial home robotics startup
- Colin Angle's startup, Familiar Machines, is attempting to raise $30 million, having already secured $15 million from eight investors.
- With a focus on health and wellness, the startup emphasizes human-robot interaction as part of its product vision.
- Despite a difficult history in the home robotics market, the venture indicates ongoing interest from tech companies in developing home robotics.
In the United States, Colin Angle, a former co-founder of iRobot, is seeking to raise $30 million for his new robotics venture, Familiar Machines, which focuses on home robotics. This announcement came after Angle stepped down from iRobot in January 2023 due to the collapse of a proposed acquisition by Amazon, which faced opposition from European Union regulators. The venture has already garnered $15 million from eight investors, with Data Point Capital listing it in its portfolio. Angle's new company aims to create a unique home robot tailored to health and wellness, prioritizing human-robot interaction through embodied and agentic AI technologies. Despite a challenging history in the home robotics market, notable failures including several prominent companies, Angle's new initiative, with planned presence in Boston and Los Angeles, demonstrates a continuing interest from industry players in this technology space. Companies like Amazon and Apple are also exploring opportunities in home robotics, signaling a potential resurgence of interest and innovation in this field, despite past setbacks that have hindered similar products.