Engineered Arts, a leader in the design and manufacture of humanoid robotics founded in the U.K., announced it has restructured as a U.S. entity to expand its footprint and meet growing U.S. demand. Along with this move, the company closed a $10 million Series A funding round to accelerate product refinement, manufacturing, production, and business systems. Helium-3 Ventures led the Series A funding, with additional participation from AppDirect Chairman and CEO Nicolas Desmarais, Belvoir Investments, and a consortium of investors, such as ThirtySeven Holdings and Figueira Capital. And Matt Bellamy (frontman of the English rock band Muse and a partner in Helium-3 Ventures) will join Engineered Arts’ board as an observer.
This milestone brings Engineered Arts’ total funding to $16.2 million, advancing a mission to integrate humanoid robots into daily life with a human-focused approach to AI. And Engineered Arts’ humanoid entertainment robots are designed to foster natural and intuitive interactions, enhancing experiences at businesses, science centers, theme parks, and conventions with unforgettable, one-of-a-kind engagements.
Even though many companies are just starting to explore the development and commercialization of humanoid robotics, Engineered Arts has been a pioneer in the field for over 20 years. With a proven track record, the company has deployed 200+ robots worldwide and developed six distinct humanoid robotic models, all ready to scale. And two years ago, footage about Ameca — its most advanced humanoid robot — went viral, captivating millions with videos showcasing its conversation with researchers.
This new funding round will enable Engineered Arts to make its full-sized and desktop robots more accessible, launch a virtual robot character platform, and expand its cloud-based AI services to enhance product features and fleet deployment.
With a focus on next-generation robot hardware development, Engineered Arts will enhance dexterity and locomotion to bring humanoid robots closer to everyday functionality. And scaled support and regional offices will enable Engineered Arts to offer customization for specific use cases. The company plans to hire approximately 20 new employees for the Redwood City location over the next year-and-a-half, ranging from top-level execs and sales to software, assembly, and support engineers.
Engineered Arts’ humanoid robots have already made an impact. For example, They serve marquee customers like Madison Square Garden’s Sphere in Las Vegas, where they deliver 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 sits 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.
KEY QUOTES:
“Our motto is simple: ‘Be wow!’ When you meet one of our robots, you’ll experience a connection to technology in the most human way possible. The saying goes, ‘The future is already here; you just haven’t seen it yet.’ We’re changing that. Get ready to experience the power of embodied AI.”
“We envision a world where the virtual seamlessly integrates into everyday life. Our robots are designed to support, entertain, inform and educate—providing a genuinely human-centric vision of AI-driven technology.”
- Will Jackson, CEO of Engineered Arts
“Ameca is a milestone in the history of AI, bringing together decades of work in robotics, natural language processing, large language models, and more. It delivers a highly engaging, nearly mind-blowing experience for our visitors. With its 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 hard to engage.”
“Interactive experiences must be reliable, safe, and magical in the education and entertainment industry. It’s a tall order, but Engineered Arts masterfully does all three.
- Kirsten Tashev, Vice President and Chief Curatorial and Exhibitions Officer at CHM
