T-robotics, a programming developer for any robot using natural language and skill models with no code required, announced it raised a $5.4 million seed round, co-led by Emergent Ventures and Engine Ventures, with Berkeley Skydeck and Raisewell participating. And T-robotics will use the funding to expand its US and EU operations.
T-robotics’s software ActGPT is robot-agnostic and integrates with a variety of commercial robotic solutions like robotic arms or mobile robots, and utilizes multi-modal data streams from vision, haptics, and language inputs to empower robots with enhanced problem-solving capabilities.
In May, global robotics and automation leader ABB created a global startup challenge to accelerate the robotics and AI industries by seeking innovation across the three key areas of natural language programming, skill learning, and autonomous decision-making. And T-robotics was recognized for its physical AI models that allow operators to program robots through natural conversation while maintaining precision through industry-specific skill models.
Since its founding, T-robotics has generated a strong early customer pipeline. And this includes targeting customers with underutilized robots—often difficult to reprogram or maintain—and working with large channel partners such as OEMs like ABB and system integrators for new installations. These partnerships enable scalable deployment and wide market penetration while reducing barriers for end users.
T-robotics was launched in 2024 by robotics industry veterans Asad Tirmizi (founder and CEO) with Lars Tingelstad (co-founder and CTO). And Tirmizi has more than a decade of experience, earning his PhD in Robotics and Haptics from the Università di Siena in Italy, for which he won the top doctoral dissertation award. He then led Factory-of-the-Future research at Flanders Make and later worked at Vicarious, a robotics company acquired by Google. Tingelstad has over 15 years of experience in industrial robotics and earned his PhD in Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Before founding T-robotics, he served as an Associate Professor in Robotic Production at NTNU, focusing on optimization and 3D geometry for robotic applications.
KEY QUOTES:
“Billions of dollars are spent developing humanoid robots, but the real workhorses—the 4.3 million robotic arms already in use and the half million produced annually—are still underutilized and haven’t benefited from the latest AI advancements. For decades, industrial robots have required complex programming in controlled environments. Yet, they often fail and perform limited tasks for only a few industries. We believe single-purpose robots will continue to play a key role in industry. By providing pre-trained AI skills that allow them to better understand the task they have to perform, we will create more intelligent, productive robotic partners.”
- Asad Tirmizi, Co-Founder and CEO of T-robotics
“Today, manufacturing robot arms could perform tasks faster, with accuracy and adaptability, if programming complexity was reduced for non-technical users. T-robotics represents a step-change in robot performance and ROI as its pre-trained AI skill models for machine tending, and other applications are easily programmed through a conversational AI interface. As deep tech investors it is rare that we find an AI company that gives us optimism like T-robotics.”
– Reed Sturtevant, General Partner at Engine Ventures
“The convergence of advanced AI with the massive installed base of industrial robots represents one of the most compelling opportunities we see in automation today. Their innovative approach with pre-trained skill models enables industrial operators to rapidly reprogram their existing robots, unlocking tremendous value. We are thrilled to partner with an outstanding team that combines deep technical expertise with remarkable execution velocity to transform how industries approach automation.”
– Anupam Rastogi, Managing Partner at Emergent Ventures and incoming board member at T-robotics
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