BMW i Ventures, the strategic investment company set up by the Bavarians, announced today yet another partnership, this time with San Francisco-based start-up Bright Machines. The investment came during a Series A that raised $179 million, an impressive figure considering Bright Machines was founded just back in 2018.
The start-up aims at creating software that allows you to teach old robots (like the ones used on assembly lines, for example) new tasks thanks to artificial intelligence and machine learning. This would cut costs and save valuable time that would otherwise be necessary to develop the robots from the ground up. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA with offices worldwide, Bright Machines aims to bring intelligence to the factory, enabling manufacturers to autonomously build physical products.
“Bright Machines is helping to usher in a new era of manufacturing where intelligent, software-defined machines build products autonomously and efficiently,” said Marcus Behrendt, partner, BMW i Ventures. “Bright Machines is poised to revolutionize the factory of the future, and we’re thrilled to help be a part of their journey.” The start up already has 300 employees and has plenty of experienced leaders in its board such as dormer Autodesk CEO Carl Bass or Mike McNamara, CEO of Flex and Steve Luszo, CEO of Seagate.
“The auto industry’s continued shift toward electric and autonomous vehicles is being driven by the production and scale of new, integrated technologies,” said Amar Hanspal, CEO, Bright Machines. “We are thrilled to have the support of BMW i Ventures to bring our vision for intelligent, software-defined manufacturing and the advantages of scale, quality, and traceability to one of the world’s most innovative and demanding industries.”
