Bleu Robotics raises €5M pre-seed to simplify humanoid robot deployment

Paris-based Bleu Robotics has raised a €5 million pre-seed round to scale its AI-driven software for industrial humanoid robots. The company’s stated goal is to streamline the process of deploying humanoid robots in manufacturing settings.

This method is designed to reduce reliance on large datasets, which the company suggests has been a barrier to broader adoption. The software is intended to work with any humanoid platform and can be retrained on-site using handheld grippers, avoiding the need for coding.

The startup’s founders bring experience from both academia and industry. Benoît Berkoukchi, CEO, previously worked in automotive assembly at Renault, while CTO Jean-Baptiste Mouret and scientific board director Serena Ivaldi are research directors at INRIA with backgrounds in AI and robotics.

Bleu Robotics’ approach differs from the data-intensive methods used by some other robotics companies. Berkoukchi has argued that manufacturing lacks the large-scale datasets used to train models like large language models, making such approaches difficult to apply. Instead, the company’s software aims to infer intent from operator demonstrations while maintaining explainability and high accuracy for industrial use. The founders have framed this as a way to make humanoid robots more practical for real-world applications.

The funding will support team growth and the expansion of the software across industries. Bleu Robotics is reportedly working with two major industrial companies and building partnerships with robot distributors. The company has suggested that each deployment could contribute to improving the model over time.

Contrarian Ventures investor Thomas Poitrineau described the company’s approach as a rethinking of how humanoid robotics software should function, noting that its leadership includes researchers and manufacturing experts. The startup’s focus on deployment rather than lab-based development may appeal to manufacturers seeking faster integration.

Recent developments in the humanoid robotics space have included early commercial pilots and funding rounds targeting data challenges. While Bleu Robotics’ €5 million round is smaller than some others, its emphasis on reducing training requirements could address a specific need in the industry.

The company’s next steps may provide insight into whether its approach gains traction. Observers will likely watch for updates on its partnerships and how its software performs in real-world settings. The broader question remains how different methods for deploying humanoid robots will compete as the technology evolves.

Sources: roboticsandautomationnews.com