RealSense is the destination for industry-leading depth cameras and vision technology used in autonomous mobile robots, access control, industrial automation, healthcare, and more. Pulse 2.0 interviewed RealSense CEO Nadav Orbach to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Nadav Orbach’s Background
Could you tell me more about your background? Orbach said:
“I studied electrical engineering and physics at the Technion in Haifa, Israel, and spent 19 years at Intel in a variety of roles. Early in my career, I worked in silicon engineering, and later I led teams focused on computer vision and camera technology. I was the architect of the first integrated camera for PCs, and over the years I became responsible for Intel’s visual solutions across PCs, automotive, IoT, and more. Within Intel, I also helped pioneer the RealSense 3D camera program, which has now spun out as an independent company.”
“I was born and raised in Israel and have moved back and forth between Israel and the Bay Area.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Orbach shared:
“As CEO, my role covers everything from strategy to operations. Historically, we spent more than a decade making our technology resilient, robust, and aligned to customer needs. Now, my job is to make sure we stay ahead of the curve by listening to customers, working with the robotics and software ecosystems, and ensuring we deliver the next generation of perception solutions. I also focus on running the company efficiently as we build our independence outside of Intel.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Orbach reflected:
“What excites me most is seeing the unexpected ways customers use our technology. For example, a fish farmer once called me saying he used RealSense cameras inside underwater cages to measure fish volume in real time, helping him determine how much to feed them. That creativity blew me away. Since then, I’ve seen our cameras used in everything from humanoid robots to industrial automation to fast-food kitchens monitoring when food trays run low. Learning how customers innovate on top of our platform are my happiest memories.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Orbach explained:
“Think of autonomy as the combination of 3D perception and AI. RealSense is the ‘visual cortex’ of machines, giving them the 3D understanding of their environment that makes autonomy possible. Our portfolio includes a wide range of 3D cameras optimized for different ranges, interfaces, and price points, along with software like our Face ID solution for biometric access control. Increasingly, we’re delivering hardware-plus-software solutions to support broader customer needs.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Orbach acknowledged:
“The biggest challenge was spinning out of Intel. Inside Intel, we had access to corporate services, finance, HR, ERP systems, and suddenly we were responsible for everything. It was like moving houses: you pack everything, move, and rebuild. That process is behind us now, and it gave us a chance to reset and strengthen our operations. Today, our challenge is scaling to meet growing demand, which means expanding manufacturing and pushing the boundaries of what our technology can do.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Orbach noted:
“We experimented with many technologies before finding the perfect product-market fit in active stereo for robotics and industrial markets. Since then, we’ve expanded our portfolio across ranges, interfaces, and price points. We’ve also made major technological leaps: launching our first power-over-internet camera, expanding fields of view, introducing Face ID for access control, and advancing silicon technology under the hood. Beyond hardware, we’re increasingly bundling software solutions to deliver complete perception systems.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Orbach cited:
“The spin-out was a pivotal moment for our team, but the milestone that excites me most is seeing the technology reach scale. This year alone, we’re experiencing 30–50% growth as humanoids, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and other customers move from prototypes into mass deployment. That sense of seeing long-term customers scaling their solutions is hugely rewarding.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking Orbach about customer success stories, he highlighted:
“Simbe, a global leader in retail intelligence, uses an array of our cameras in their deployments. Gig+ in China and MIR are leaders in the AMR space. On the humanoid side, we work with Unitree, which develops quadruped and humanoid robots. We also have strong reference customers in biometric access control. For example, our cameras power advanced security solutions for airport screening, loss prevention, customs and border control, and venue security.”
“Through our core perception technology, RealSense is enabling very different industries, from robotics to access control.”
Funding
When asking Orbach about the company’s funding details, he revealed:
“We recently announced our $50m Series A and spinout from Intel. Being backed by Intel Capital and the MediaTek Innovation Fund among other strategic and private investors, we now operate as an independent, venture-backed company focused on advancing innovation in AI, robotics, biometrics, and computer vision.“
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Orbach assessed:
“The opportunity is enormous but difficult to pin down because 3D cameras serve so many industries. Just in robotics, the 3D camera market is already over half a billion dollars and growing rapidly. Beyond robotics, markets like biometric access control, humanoids, and industrial automation represent tens of billions of dollars. Every autonomous system will need 3D perception, and our goal is to make RealSense the most accessible and effective way to deliver it.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Orbach affirmed:
“Our cameras are the most robust, reliable, and developer-friendly on the market. They work out of the box, can run for years in the field, and are IP65-grade for durability. Developers benefit from our easy-to-use SDK, making integration seamless. Customers value that combination of robustness and simplicity.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Orbach emphasized:
“We have two standout goals: First, becoming the platform of choice for robotic perception, and second, becoming a market leader in biometric access control.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Orbach concluded:
“Ecosystem collaboration is critical to our success. We’ve recently partnered with NVIDIA on the Holoscan Bridge, and we’re looking to expand partnerships across hardware and software players to ensure RealSense integrates easily into the broader ecosystem. Ultimately, customers don’t buy 3D cameras for their own sake; they buy them to solve problems, whether that’s navigating robots or monitoring fish farms. Our job is to show that 3D perception is the simplest and most powerful way to solve those problems.”
