Founders backing Founders. Swift Ventures is the fund that we wish existed when we were starting out -- a low-ego, sincerely helpful firm led by former founders who get it. With decades of company-building experience, Swift provides relevant and practical “garage-to-IPO” building and scaling expertise.We invest in AI and Automation companies with B2B business models.  Typically, we are looking for companies that have an early compelling product with positive revenue and retention signals.

Swift Ventures

Moxxie Ventures is an early stage fund that invests in founders who make life and work better.  It was founded in 2019 and headquartered in Boulder, CO

Moxxie Ventures

LDV Partners they provide services for securitization of data and algorithms, robotics and artificial intelligence, precision health, and more.

LDV Partners

The House Fund is a pre-seed and early stage venture capital fund focused on the boldest Berkeley startups.  UC Berkeley has some of the most brilliant minds and daring businesses in the world, like Tesla, Apple, and Intel. It has never had a place to unite its entrepreneurs, until now. Started in 2016, with 50+ investments, $2B in follow-on funding, and 10 exits later, The House Fund has become a thriving ecosystem for the boldest Berkeley startups to grow.

The House Fund

Foothill Ventures is a technology-focused venture fund that invests in seed-to-A-round startups in the United States. It is a successor fund to the TEEC Angel Fund. Foothill Ventures was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Los Altos, California.

Foothill Ventures

Berkeley SkyDeck Fund is an investment Arm Behind UC Berkeley's SkyDeck Accelerator.

Berkeley SkyDeck Fund

Courtyard is a VC firm focused on UC Berkeley affiliated startups.

Courtyard Ventures

Humba Ventures

Jacobi Robotics

Jacobi Robotics is a software building block for robot arms.

Jacobi Robotics offers an AI-driven motion planning platform that leverages algorithms to compute time-optimized, singularity-free, jerk-limited, and collision-free paths for robotic operations. The company’s software connects directly to robot controllers via APIs and aims to streamline the deployment process. It features the Jacobi Studio, which allows users to visualize the robot environment and motions and deploy motion plans as well as a programming API that offers a library of drivers to directly control and execute motions on various robots. The company claims its technology can reduce deployment times from weeks to less than a day, increasing productivity by 20% across various hardware platforms.&nbsp;

Using data and automation to achieve 24/7 production.

Smart Factory

Jacobi Robotics: AI-Based Motion Planning Tech Company Raises $5 Million

Jacobi Robotics offers an AI-driven motion planning platform that leverages algorithms to compute time-optimized, singularity-free, jerk-limited, and collision-free paths for robotic operations. The company’s software connects directly to robot controllers via APIs and aims to streamline the deployment process. It features the Jacobi Studio, which allows users to visualize the robot environment and motions and deploy motion plans as well as a programming API that offers a library of drivers to directly control and execute motions on various robots. The company claims its technology can reduce deployment times from weeks to less than a day, increasing productivity by 20% across various hardware platforms.&nbsp;Key customers and partnershipsThe company’s notable customers include ABB, FANUC, Universal Robots, and Yaskawa.In January 2024, Jacobi Robotics partnered with Formic Technologies, a robotics-as-a-service provider, to integrate its motion planning software into Formic's platform to enhance the use and capability of the combined system.

<div>
 
 SparkCognition is an AI analytics startup offering four deep learning product solutions: Darwin (automated model-building software), DeepArmor (AI-powered cybersecurity), DeepNLP (NLP solution), and SparkPredict (analytics solution utilizing sensor data). These products deliver actionable insights, predict machine issues via historical maintenance data, and provide security from cyber threats. These products can be deployed across multiple industries, such as manufacturing, defense, utilities, oil and gas, and aviation. 
 
 
 SparkCognition&rsquo;s clientele comprises large companies such as Boeing, Hitachi, and British Petroleum. It has also built partnerships with Google for cloud platform services, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise to offer AI predictive maintenance on HPE Edgeline Converged Edge Systems, and OSIsoft to integrate SparkCognition&rsquo;s machine learning technology with OSIsoft&rsquo;s PI system to improve data and process data analytics.
 
 
 The company&rsquo;s most recent funding round was Series D funding worth USD 123 million in January 2022 from March Capital, Doha Venture Capital, B. Riley Venture Capital, AEI Horizon X, Temasek, and several others. The funds were intended to be used to invest in R&amp;D, accelerate sales and marketing, facilitate organic and inorganic growth, and also for the working capital requirements of the company. In March 2022, the company acquired Indian visual AI startup 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9370?industryIds=6">
 Integration Wizards
 </a>
 to expand its intellectual property (IP) portfolio to improve vision capabilities. The company has reported a 2x increase in revenue YoY in 2021.
 
</div>

SparkCognition

Kinta AI provides an automated production planning platform for manufacturing that uses advanced AI algorithms and simulation techniques. Using existing operational data, a SaaS solution is deployed that can be integrated with existing management execution systems (MES), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and Industry 4.0 tools in the factory. The software looks to have cross-functional communication across the factory to eliminate any bottlenecks that delay resolving breakdowns. Kinta AI has partnered with Flex (an electronics manufacturer) and BASF (a chemical company).Kinta AI’s most recent financing was a Series A funding round worth USD 5.5 million in April 2021 led by Lachy Groom’s LGF and Shine Capital. The funds will be utilized to scale operations in existing general industrial client factories and implement the Kinta AI platform in new client factories.

Kinta AI

<div>
 
 Sight Machine provides a digital manufacturing platform enabled by AI. It creates a digital twin of both assets and processes to help manufacturers improve processes, quality, and productivity. It can also gather data from machines of various manufacturers supplying actionable insights for predictive maintenance, quality improvement, capacity utilization, among other benefits. In October 2022, the company released 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/13696?industryIds=6">
 Sight Machine Blueprint
 </a>
 to offer manufacturers with advanced data analytics solutions.
 
 
 Sight Machine has established partnerships with large global companies such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) for their cloud platforms and Fujitsu (system integrator) to help with wide deployments. Sight Machine, which caters to at least 15 verticals, such as food and beverage, electronics, and automotive, is on the move to expand into more verticals. It has global clients of Fortune 500-caliber, including Nissan, Heineken, Westrock Co., and Asian Paints. Sight Machine&rsquo;s most recent funding round was Series C funding worth USD 29.4 million in April 2019, led by LS Group. The funds were to be used to expedite the company&rsquo;s growth.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In December 2023, 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25200">
 Sight Machine received a low double-digit million euro investmen
 </a>
 t from TeamViewer to improve industrial digitalization and enhance manufacturing efficiency.
 
 
 
</div>

Sight Machine

Overview uses smart cameras and AI to monitor manufacturing equipment and robots and identify defects in real time before significant damage or downtime is incurred. The technology has a repository of machine data so that there is a traceable visual record of all units. With AI, the cause of production issues and quality concerns can be identified either on-site or remotely. The company claims over time, the deep learning computer vision algorithms allow for any sudden substantial increases in production and improved yields. Funding and financialsIn February 2022, the company raised USD 10 million in series A funding to be used to expand operations and business reach.

Overview

Bright Machines combines robotics, machine learning, and computer vision to provide automation applications for the electronics manufacturing industry. Its flagship product is the “Bright Machines Microfactory,” a pre-integrated, programmable assembly line that can be deployed in existing and new production facilities. The Microfactory runs on the company's proprietary “Brightware” cloud-based software platform, offering a scalable solution that enables manufacturers to enhance supply chain resilience and adapt production capacity according to market demand. This software-defined manufacturing allows factories to change the products that they manufacture if needed. The company offers its service on a subscription-based microfactory-as-a-service (MaaS) business model.The company reportedly generated USD 83 million in revenue in 2021. In May 2021, Bright Machines reported that its revenue doubled each year since its inception (2018) and forecasts a 5-year CAGR (2020-2025) of over 84%.&nbsp;Key customers and partnershipsBright Machines served over 40 manufacturing companies as of October 2022.The company collaborated with Microsoft Azure in May 2024 to leverage the latter’s infrastructure to deliver a full-stack environment for all stages of the manufacturing lifecycle.The company also has distribution/sales partnerships with Anstar Corporation (April 2021), SMT Capital (April 2021), MaRC Technologies (May 2021), PAC Global (May 2021), Restronics (June 2021), <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/3618">BROCK Electronics</a> (June 2021), <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/4740">Murray Percival</a> (July 2021), <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/4412">Competitive Edge Manufacturing Equipment</a> (CEME; July 2021).Key competitors: None comparable (Bright Machines is the only company in the smart factory industry that offers microfactories-as-a-service, which combines intelligent software with adaptive hardware to automate manufacturing processes.)

Bright Machines

Companies that provide robotic fleet management software, robotic automation software, and inspection software.

Companies that provide an industrial IoT platform across factories as the primary offering.

Companies that provide cobots, sorting/ picking robotics, modular production robotics, and microfactories.

Companies that focus on data analytics for operations streamlining and process optimization, and may offer predictive maintenance.

Companies that provide autonomous mobile robots (AMR) or self-driving vehicles (SDV) used in manufacturing/ factory operations.

Companies that monitor the manufacturing equipment and assembly lines.

Companies that provide predictive maintenance as a primary offering. 

Creates digital twins of assets and processes to help manufacturers improve processes, quality, and productivity

Connected devices, sensors, IoT, and analytics are used to optimize factory operations

Uses advanced robotics, AMRs, and related software to improve the efficiency of factory operations

Uses connected devices and sensors to gather data—IIoT, predictive analysis, and equipment inspection

Uses AI/ML to analyze data for predictive maintenance and AI-based vision systems for line inspections

5G standard allows for faster reaction times and supports high connection densities

Uses edge computing for data processing at the edge

Some companies in the predictive maintenance space uses generative AI to generate possible alternative scenarios

ANALYST_QUICK_TAKE

<div>
 
 Jacobi Robotics, an AI-powered robotics technology provider, has secured USD 5 million in seed funding. The investment round was led by Moxxie Ventures and saw participation from several other firms including Foothill Ventures, Humba Ventures, The House Fund, Swift Ventures, Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, LDV Partners, and Courtyard Ventures.
 &nbsp;The procured funding will be utilized by the company to expand its production capacity.
 Jacobi Robotics' primary offering is an AI-powered motion planning platform. This platform employs algorithms to calculate time-optimized, singularity-free, jerk-limited, and collision-free paths for robot operations. The company's software connects directly with robot controllers through APIs, with the aim to speed up deployment procedures. Jacobi Robotics asserts that their technology can significantly reduce deployment time, taking it down from several weeks to less than a day.
 
</div> Analyst QuickTake : 
 There has been an increase in funding for robotic solutions in recent months. Jacobi Robotics joins the likes of <a href="https: 
//sp-edge.com/companies/693364"> Bright Machines, </a> <a href="https: 
//sp-edge.com/companies/674407"> Vecna Robotics, </a> and <a href="https: 
//sp-edge.com/companies/462983"> Mimic, </a> which raised USD <a href="https: 
//sp-edge.com/updates/30826"> 126 million, </a> <a href="https: 
//sp-edge.com/updates/30656"> USD 100 million, </a> and <a href="https: 
//sp-edge.com/updates/29264"> USD 2.47 million, </a> respectively, over the last three months. Jacobi Robotics aims to differentiate itself by solving the problem of singularities in robotic arms using algorithms to calculate collision-free paths.

Jacobi Robotics

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