Swiss startup mimic has secured $2.5 million in Pre-Seed funding to challenge US dominance in robotics. Born out of ETH Zurich, mimic was founded by researchers Elvis Nava, Stefan Weirich, Stephan-Daniel Gravert, and Benedek Forrai in 2024. Drawing from their work at Professor Robert Katzschmann’s Soft Robotic Labs, the team recognized the potential of large-scale generative AI models to revolutionize industries beyond language and image generation.
mimic’s mission is to revolutionize labor shortages with dexterous, human-like robotic hands, seamlessly integrating them into existing manual labor workflows. Co-founder Stephan-Daniel Gravert highlights the focus on a universal robotic hand compatible with off-the-shelf industrial robotic arms, targeting stationary use cases.
Unlike conventional robotic solutions tailored for specific tasks, mimic’s approach enables robots to imitate human behavior by observing demonstrations. Co-founder Elvis Nava emphasizes the design philosophy of fitting robots into human environments, rather than vice versa.
Powered by a foundation AI model, mimic’s robots can perform tasks with minimal demonstrations, reducing the need for complex programming. Initial customers from various sectors, including supermarkets, gastronomy, and manufacturing, have shown interest in mimic’s innovative solution.
Stefan Weirich, another co-founder, underscores the gap in automation for tedious, low to medium volume tasks and the increasing difficulty for companies to find suitable staff. With AI-driven robotic manipulation, mimic aims to address these challenges with unmatched flexibility and ease of use.
Founderful leads the funding round, joined by another.vc, Tiny.vc, and specialized angel investors. Alex Stöckl, founding partner at Founderful, expresses confidence in mimic’s technology and vision, anticipating exponential growth in the AI-driven robotics market.
