Eka Robotics raises $150M for force-sensing robot hands

Eka Robotics has raised $150 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz and F-Prime at a $1.45 billion valuation. The Cambridge, Mass. startup uses a vision-force-action AI model combining camera images and force sensor data to give robot grippers a sense of touch, allowing mid-task grip adjustments. Its robots handle objects up to 1 kilogram, succeed on over 95% of picks, and operate at roughly 1,500 picks per hour. The sub-$1,000 gripper is rated for 5 million duty cycles. Pilots with unnamed industrial customers are underway. Total funding now stands at about $161 million.