Veo Robotics, a developer of safeguarding tools for industrial robots, recently closed a funding round worth US$29m (£23.2m), which it says it will use to accelerate its deployment of collaborative, human-centred robot safeguarding solutions enabled by its proprietary technology.
Contributors to the round included Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, Safar Partners and Yamaha Motor Ventures, with these three contributing a total of US$14m (£11.2m). The full investment round, including previous contributions, totals US$29m.
One of Veo’s products to benefit from the found will be FreeMove, a 3D safeguarding solution designed to limit the cost and complexity of human-robot collaborations within industrial workcells.
So far, the product has received safety accreditation to Performance Level D, meaning it can be used to help humans work closely and is compatible with the full industrial robot ranges from FANUC, Yaskawa Motoman, ABB, Kawasaki and Kuka.
“The newest generation of intelligent robotic systems work with people, not separately from them,” said Clara Vu, co-founder and CTO of Veo. “Unlocking this potential requires a new generation of safety systems – this is Veo’s mission, and we’re very excited to be taking this next step.”
“With the increased need for efficiency improvement in industrial environments, we’ve seen increasing requirements for safe robot operation in the close presence of humans,” said Patrick Sobalvarro, co-founder and CEO of Veo Robotics.
“These integrated workflows involving both robots and employees provide maximum flexibility and ROI for our customers in manufacturing and logistics.”
Matt Peterson, director at Amazon’s Industrial Innovation Fund, said, “As investors, we were drawn to Veo Robotics’ focus on safety in the workplace.
“Their technology is both collaborative and effective, prioritising employee wellbeing. We are excited to support Veo Robotics and their vision to design innovative and human-centric robotics.”
To support the deployment of the solution, Veo has also partnered with five certified systems integrators: Calvary Robotics, Factory Automation Systems, ABCO Automation, PDSI and Gray Solutions.
