Investors Bet Big on Industry-Specific AI and Robotics

Physical artificial intelligence and vertical AI startups are drawing investor attention as venture funding flows toward companies building systems designed either to operate in the physical world or automate specialized industry workflows. The trend reflects a shift in the AI startup landscape away from general-purpose tools toward systems that can perform defined tasks in sectors such as robotics, healthcare, logistics and enterprise software. Rhoda AI is developing manipulation-capable robots designed to handle objects and perform precise operations that traditionally required human dexterity. The company raised $450 million in Series A at a $1.7 billion valuation. Mind Robotics, a spinout of electric vehicle maker Rivian, recently reached a valuation of about $2 billion following a $500 million funding round aimed at accelerating the development of autonomous robotics systems for manufacturing and logistics. Sunday, a startup building a home robot designed to automate dishwashing tasks, recently reached a valuation of roughly $1.15 billion. In vertical AI, Replit announced $250 million in new funding for its AI-assisted coding platform. Amigo AI raised $11 million in Series A funding to develop clinical AI agents for healthcare professionals. BackOps AI raised $26 million to build AI tools for logistics and supply chain operations. Oro Labs secured $100 million in Series C funding for its procurement orchestration platform. Primary source: PYMNTS.com