Machina Labs combines AI and robotics to rapidly manufacture advanced composite and metal products. (Photo: Business Wire)
On the strength of a $32 million Series B investment, Machina Labs is seeking to ‘revolutionize AI-driven manufacturing.’
LOS ANGELES—An innovative West Coast startup is combining AI and robotics to rapidly manufacture advanced composite and metal products. The company, Machina Labs, is dedicated to developing modular manufacturing capabilities that can be reconfigured to produce new products simply by changing the software, the company said in a release.
Los Angeles-based Machina Labs recently closed a $32 million Series B investment round co-led by new investor NVentures, NVIDIA’s venture capital arm, and existing investor Innovation Endeavors. The funding, which also included contributions from existing and other new investors, will be used to meet increasing customer demand and to further intensify research initiatives, according to the release.
Citing NVIDIA’s “deep heritage in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing,” Machina Labs CEO and Co-founder Edward Mehr said in a statement that Machina Labs is “looking forward to NVIDIA’s support” as it further develops its AI and simulation capabilities.
“We are also thrilled to see our current partner, Innovation Endeavors, continue to support our vision,” Mehr said in the release. “This Series B funding underscores the transformative potential of merging robotics and artificial intelligence. With this support, we are poised to develop the next generation of manufacturing floors; ones that can easily remake production with no hardware or tooling changes, but only requiring software modification.”
According to Machina Labs, factories no longer need to be tied to specific products. Instead, they can be configured via software to power on-demand manufacturing and unlock innovation. Enabled by advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics, Machina Labs said it is developing software-defined factories of the future.
“Over the past two years, Machina Labs has demonstrated the impact and scalability of combining robotics and AI in manufacturing,” said Innovation Endeavors Partner Sam Smith-Eppsteiner, in the release. “We are thrilled to double down on our investment in Machina on the back of demonstrated execution, technology gains, and commercial traction. We expect Machina to play an important role in a number of key industrial trends of the next decade: domestic re-industrialization, defense innovation, electrification, and commercial space.”
Machina Labs uses robots to creatively manufacture different designs and material. In doing so, it introduces high levels of flexibility and agility to the manufacturing industry. “With Machina, great ideas can quickly and affordably become reality, and businesses can benefit from rapid iteration to bring more innovative products to market faster,” the company said in the release.
Robotic sheet forming is the first process enabled by Machina’s patented manufacturing platform. Using material- and geometry-agnostic technology, the platform is said to outperform traditional sheet forming methods that rely on custom molds or dies.
“AI is rapidly accelerating industries across the global economy, including manufacturing,” said Mohamed (“Sid”) Siddeek, corporate vice president and head of NVentures, in the release. “Machina Labs’s work to apply advanced computing and robotics to sheet metal formation enables companies to operate manufacturing facilities with substantially improved efficiency and broadened capabilities.”