It’s been a busy week for Vancouver-based robotics companies as Nexera Robotics, Sanctuary AI, and Novarc Technologies raised funding, made developments to their tech, and struck new partnerships.
Nexera Robotics, which develops robotic grasping technology, secured $4.5 million from BDC Capital’s Industrial Innovation Venture Fund, Defined, and RiSC Capital. Nexera did not disclose who led the round, and indicated there were more undisclosed backers in a LinkedIn post. BetaKit has reached out to Nexera for more details but did not hear back by press time.
Nexera says its proprietary solution, NeuraGrasp, tackles an elusive problem in automation: the ability to grasp a wide variety of objects in dynamic environments. The company claims NeuraGrasp can “accommodate an unparalleled range of weights, sizes and materials.” Nexera will use the funding on research and development, as well as market expansion, the company said in a statement.
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“[Nexera’s] technology aligns perfectly with the future of pick & place robots, and we believe it has the potential to transform how many industries will approach robotic handling challenges,” BDC Capital Industrial Innovation Venture Fund managing partner Aditya Aggarwal said in a statement.
While Nexera’s robotics get a grip, Sanctuary AI’s robots are getting touchy. The startup, which focuses on creating general-purpose, human-like robots, has integrated new tactile sensor technology into its Phoenix line of robots. Sanctuary said the integration helps pilots teleoperate the robots with more precision and accuracy. Rather than relying on the visual feedback of an object moving on a video feed, the sensors can detect pressure on the robot’s fingertips, making it easier to perform delicate tasks.
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Founded in 2018, Sanctuary AI closed a $75.5-million CAD Series A round in 2022, after which it received $30 million from Canada’s Strategic Innovation Fund and a strategic investment from BDC Capital’s Thrive Venture Fund and InBC, bringing its total funding to over $140 million. This past November, BNN Bloomberg reported that Sanctuary AI made layoffs after the departure of founding CEO Geordie Rose, who was replaced by chief commercial officer James Wells.
Finally, Novarc Technologies, which specializes in automated welding equipment using artificial intelligence (AI), has struck a partnership with Appleton, Wis.-based arc welding manufacturer Miller Electric. As part of the partnership, Miller and Novarc will develop adaptive welding solutions powered by AI for Miller’s Copilot collaborative welding line.
Novarc raised a $20-million USD Series A round in July 2023 to expand its spool-welding collaborative robot, or “cobot,” offering, and launch its robotic vision system for automated welding. In September 2024, Novarc launched the second generation of its NovEye Autonomy vision processing system, which it claims can fully automate the pipe welding process.
Feature image courtesy Sanctuary AI.