Tacta Systems raises $75M to give robots a 'smart nervous system'

Tacta Systems said its technology enables robots to perform delicate, variable, human-like tasks with flexibility, efficiency, and autonomy. | Source: Adobe Stock

Tacta Systems Inc., which is developing dexterous intelligence to give robots tactile skills and spatial awareness, last week raised $75 million. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based startup said it will use the funding to accelerate the development of systems capable of performing complex, human-like tasks.

“Enabling machines to solve complex, physical world problems is the next frontier in robotics technology,” stated Andreas Bibl, co-founder and CEO of Tacta Systems.

“AI models have become incredibly sophisticated in working with text and video, but much of the physical world remains incomprehensible to them,” he said. “We’re incredibly excited about the disruptive technology that we’re developing, which will ultimately help humanity automate much of the drudgery of factory work and grueling physical labor.”

Tacta said its breakthrough is its proprietary combination of software, hardware, and AI, along with its development of Dextrous Intelligence. The company described its platform as a “smart nervous system.”

It added that platform enables robots to sense, adapt, and interact with the physical world with human-like precision and speed.

Tacta led by an experienced entrepreneur

The funding includes a previously undisclosed $11 million seed round, led by Matter Venture Partners. The bulk of the financing is from a $64 million Series A. America’s Frontier Fund and SBVA led the round. It included participation from Matter Venture Partners, B Capital, EDBI, Sojitz Corp., CDIB-TEN Capital, Yazaki Innovations Inc., B5 Capital, Tyche Partners, and Woven Capital.

Before founding Tacta Systems, Bibl founded and led LuxVue Technology, which creates low-power, microLED-based displays for consumer electronics applications. Apple acquired the company in 2014.

“Tacta is led by one of the most seasoned and accomplished hard tech entrepreneurs that I’ve ever seen,” said Wen Hsieh, founding managing partner at Matter Venture Partners. “The technology that they’ve developed in the last year and a half is game-changing and will prove incredibly valuable to both robotics and the world in the coming years. My firm and I are proud to have backed them from the very beginning.”