Bright Machines is a software and robotics company whose applications focus on automation for the manufacturing industry.[1] The San Francisco-based company has two primary products. First, Bright Machines employs “micro-factories“ made up of robot cells for the purpose of automating electronics manufacturing and inspection. Second, Bright Machines offers software tools for the purpose of improving efficiencies in the manufacturing process.[2]
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| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software, robotics, manufacturing |
| Founded | May 2018 Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | 2445 16th Street San Francisco, CA 94103 |
Key people |
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Number of employees | 200 (2024) |
| Website | brightmachines |
History
editBright Machines was founded in May 2018 as a spin-off of Flex Ltd., initially operating under the stealth startup name AutoLabs AI. In October 2018, the company rebranded as Bright Machines and raised $179 million in a Series A funding round led by Eclipse Ventures.[3] In October 2022, the company announced a $100 million Series B funding round led by Eclipse Ventures, along with an additional $32 million in debt financing led by Silicon Valley Bank and Hercules Capital.[4] In June 2024, the company raised $126 million in Series C funding, with $106 million in equity led by investments from funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, with participation from NVIDIA, Microsoft, Eclipse, Jabil, and Shinhan Securities, and $20 million in venture debt from J.P. Morgan.[5] In September 2024, the company announced Chris Stori as the new CEO.[6]
Products
editBright Machines makes software and robotic modules that assemble small goods, such as household appliances, tools, and electronics. The modules can be plugged together to create a small assembly line, and the robots can be programmed through the company's software to follow instructions.
References
edit- ^ "Bright Machines wants to put AI-driven automation in every factory". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2020-04-29.
- ^ "Autodesk, Flex veterans raise $179 million for manufacturing startup". reuters.com. Reuters. October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ^ "Bright Machines lands $179M to bring smarter robotics to manufacturing". techcrunch.com. Oath Tech Network. October 23, 2018. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
- ^ Heater, Brian (31 October 2022). "Manufacturing firm Bright Machines raises $132M after unfulfilled SPAC deal". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
- ^ Cherney, Max. "AI-focused manufacturing startup raises $106 million, from Nvidia and others". Reuters.
- ^ Albergotti, Reed. "Nvidia-backed robotic manufacturing startup taps new CEO with an eye to AI".