Augmentus lands $11M to scale no-code robot programming

Singapore-based no-code robotics startups Augmentus Pte. Ltd. announced today that it has raised $11 million in new funding.

It will use the funds to accelerate deployment of its fully autonomous robotic surface finishing and spraying systems, fulfill demand from manufacturing customers, and advance research and development into “hyper-adaptive” artificial intelligence-driven robotic systems.

Founded in 2019, Augmentus aims to make industrial robots as easy to program as smartphones by eliminating the need for arcane vendor-specific code. Its founders — Daryl Lim, Voon Foo Chong and Yong Shin Leong (pictured) — set out to give factory engineers a no-code interface that turns weeks of robot programming into minutes.

Augmentus is seeking to deal with the issue where, despite rising interest in robotics, most manufacturers still struggle with the same hurdle: Robot programming remains complex, slow and inflexible, especially for high-mix, low-volume production. The company’s solutions tackle this bottleneck directly by eliminating the need for coding by using industrial 3D scanning, AI-powered path planning and adaptive motion control to automatically generate robot programs.

Beyond offering a fast setup, Augmentus closes the loop with real-time vision feedback that lets robots sense deviations and adjust trajectories on the fly. In a high-mix valve powder-coating deployment, the capability cut robot downtime by 93% and reduced programming cycles from weeks to minutes.

The adaptability offered makes the Augmentus system a strong fit for surface finishing, shot-peening, spraying, grinding and complex aerospace welding where no two parts are alike. The company’s customers span aerospace, heavy industry and energy and the company’s’ software is installed at more than 50 production sites across the U.S., Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

“We’re seeing unprecedented demand and this round enables us to… fulfill our growing backlog while accelerating research and development into hyper-adaptive robotics that can perceive and respond on the fly, even in chaotic, high-mix environments where no two parts are alike,” said Lim the company’s co-founder and chief executive. “These are the hardest problems in automation -surface finishing, material removal and welding, and we’re solving them at scale.”

With the new funding, Augmentus is focusing on scaling up execution capacity and delivery. The next phase of its growth will be driven by a two-pronged approach: direct engagement with end clients and a growing network of trusted system integrators. Both play a critical role in extending reach, enabling local support and embedding Augmentus’ solution into existing production workflows.

The round was led by Woori Ventures Co. Ltd., with EDBI Pte. Ltd. and previous investors Sierra Ventures LP and Cocoon Capital Management Pte. Ltd. also participating.

Image: Augmentus