Robotics

Swiss startup to advance collaborative robots with GenAI humanoid hand

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The power of generative AI has further ignited the race for advanced humanoid robots, promising more capable machines that can learn and deal with unknown environments and challenges.

Amid increasing competition across the globe, Switzerland-based mimic is also throwing its hat in the ring. The startup has raised a pre-seed round of $2.5mn (€2.3mn) to bring the first GenAI-powered collaborative robot to market.

A spinoff from ETH Zurich, mimic was founded in 2024 by a team of three researchers working at the intersection of robotics and AI.

Aiming to address workforce shortages, the team has developed a robotic humanoid hand that can integrate into existing manual labor workflows and perform repetitive or demanding tasks.

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“Most use cases are stationary and do not require a full humanoid robot with legs,” said co-founder Stephan-Daniel Gravert.

“That’s why we focus data-collection and hardware ingenuity on a universal robotic hand that is compatible with off-the-shelf industrial robotic arms for positioning.”

Merging humanoid robots with generative AI

The young startup has also developed its own foundation AI model to infuse the humanoid hand with reasoning skills and the ability to learn.

According to mimic, the use of generative AI enables the robot to understand and imitate any behaviour by watching a human perform it. This broadens the scope of tasks a robot can perform. It also reduces the need (and cost) for constant reprogramming.

robot humanoid hand mimic