Radar Companies Professional Service Robots · San Francisco
Radar · Professional Service Robots in San Francisco

Best Professional Service Robots Companies in San Francisco, United States

The 59 best Professional Service Robots companies in San Francisco, United States in 2026, ranked by funding and momentum. Funding, investors, founders, valuation, tech stack and live signals. Top: Starship Technologies.

59companies tracked
$1.7Bdisclosed funding
1unicorns
48have raised

Ranked: Best Professional Service Robots companies in San Francisco

#CompanyDisclosed fundingLast roundEmployeesFoundedFounderPatents & IP focusRecent signals
1Starship Technologies
Operator of autonomous robots for delivery of goods and advertising
72Funding top 17%News top 17%Customers top 29%AI top 30%
All 12 signals ▾
Fundingtop 17%
Newstop 17%
Customerstop 29%
AItop 30%
Moattop 31%
Techtop 35%
Talenttop 38%
Globaltop 39%
Markettop 41%
Producttop 46%
Innovationbottom 47%
Growthbottom 44%
Funding: Raised $231M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 9 yrs (0.9/yr)
News: 7 BI events in 12 mo (of 71 tracked, 7 types) · +600% YoY
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 72/100
$231M8 mo ago1642014Janus Friis
Co-Founder
1 award
2Nimble 🦄
Provider of robotic third-party logistics services for various product categories
67Funding top 20%AI top 20%Moat top 28%Growth top 35%
All 11 signals ▾
Fundingtop 20%
AItop 20%
Moattop 28%
Growthtop 35%
Innovationtop 46%
Markettop 48%
Talentbottom 49%
Techbottom 45%
Patentsbottom 44%
Globalbottom 37%
Newsbottom 21%
Funding: Raised $221M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 5 yrs (0.8/yr)
AI: Classified as an AI company
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 67/100
$221M22 mo ago822017Simon Kalouche
Founder & CEO
12 patents
Digital pharmacy verification and remote subscription/billing management platforms
3Bear Robotics
Developer of autonomous mobile robots for various industries and applications
$175M28 mo ago2212017John Ha
Co-Founder & CEO
169 patents
Autonomous service robots for food‑service navigation, manipulation, and control systems
4Farmwise
Developer of agricultural weeding technology using AI and computer vision
69Funding top 21%Growth top 26%Innovation top 28%Moat top 28%
All 10 signals ▾
Fundingtop 21%
Growthtop 26%
Innovationtop 28%
Moattop 28%
Patentstop 30%
Producttop 36%
AItop 45%
Marketbottom 43%
Globalbottom 37%
Techbottom 34%
Funding: Raised $128M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 9 yrs (0.8/yr)
Growth: Headcount 40 → 73 (+82%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 69/100
$128M19 mo ago73201637 patents
AI-powered crop detection and autonomous weeding robotics for precision agriculture
5Built Robotics
Develops automated dozer robots for the construction industry
$112M51 mo ago25
25 → 41 (+64%)
2015Andrew Liang
Co-Founder
142 patents
Autonomous earth‑moving and pile‑driving equipment with AI navigation and control
2 partnerships
6Simbe Robotics
Developing robotic products for retail execution
$104M20 mo ago232014Jeff Gee
Co-Founder and CDO
134 patents
Automated retail inventory management using computer vision and robotics for shelf stocking
3 awards
7Bossa Nova
Provider of robots for retail stores
$70M96 mo ago222005
8Dusty Robotics
Provider of automated robotic layout solutions for construction sites
$69M50 mo ago252018Philipp Herget
Founder / CTO
46 patents
Autonomous robots for on‑site printing of construction layout lines and markings.
9Cobalt Robotics
Provider of patrolling robots for applications in commercial buildings
$66M84 mo ago572016Erik Schluntz
Co-Founder & CTO
53 patents
Autonomous indoor security and logistics robots with navigation, surveillance, and manipulation capabilities.
10Medra
Developer of robots to automate repetitive wet lab tasks
$63M7 mo ago82021Michelle Lee
CEO
1 job opening
11VERDANT ROBOTICS
Revolutionizing agriculture with precision robotics for sustainable and profitable farming
$58M42 mo ago232018Curtis Garner
Founder
122 patents
Autonomous precision agriculture robotics for targeted plant treatment and observation
1 launch · 1 partnership
12Dishcraft Robotics
Provider of robotic dishwashing services for commercial kitchens
$51M73 mo ago76201556 patents
Robotic dishware handling and automated kitchenware processing systems
13Kindred
Developer of AI-powered robotics for picking placing sorting automation
$44M66 mo ago520141 launch
14Petra
Service provider of boring robots for electrical grids
$33M55 mo ago1282011Kim Abrams
CEO & Co-founder
15Blue River Technology
Revolutionizing agriculture with intelligent machinery, optimizing chemical usage, and promoting…
$30M126 mo ago1372011Jorge Heraud
Ceo
346 patents
Precision agriculture AI: vision, masking, and autonomous equipment control.
16Neuro42 AI
Provider of MRI and robotics technology for neurology
$30M10 mo ago342020Abhita Vohra
Co-Founder & CSO
42 patents
Low-field MRI hardware integration, AI‑enhanced image reconstruction, and electromagnetic interference mitigation.
17Clockwork
Provider of branding and fashion designing services
$30M32 mo ago1320182 patents
Pricing algorithms and sales platforms for home repair and service marketplaces
18Boxbot
Provider of robotic and automation solutions for package logistics and optimizing warehouse operations
$30M33 mo ago242016Austin Oehlerking
Co-Founder & CEO
19Electric Sheep
Vertically integrated robotics company using AI for outdoor automation
$26M53 mo ago272019Jarrett Herold
Co-Founder & COO
2 launchs
20Canvas
Robotic systems for the construction industry
$24M62 mo ago12017Kevin Albert
Co-Founder & CEO
2 patents
Adaptive network-driven user interface rendering and personalization for web applications
21Chef Robotics
Developer of artificial intelligence-enabled robotic systems for food production
$22M15 mo ago122019Rajat Bhageria
Founder & CEO
38 patents
Patents concentrated in transport & manufacturing processes
22Marble
Robotics company for performing intra-city deliveries
$14M98 mo ago39201512 patents
Automated sorting, conveyor spacing, and vacuum‑seal detection for packaged goods
23Loki Robotics
Provider of autonomous robotic bathroom cleaning solutions
$13M2 mo ago2024Antonio Arbues
Co-Founder
24Glacier
Provider of AI-based automated waste sorting robots
$12M14 mo ago122019Areeb Malik
Co-Founder
25ROAM Robotics
Developer of robotic exoskeletons designed to augment strength and reduce injury
$12M91 mo ago1202012159 patents
Patents concentrated in health & consumer products
26Prismax
Developer of a service layer for physical artificial intelligence applications
$11M12 mo ago2025Chyna Qu
Co-Founder
27Cafe X Technologies
Developer of a robot for making and serving coffee
$9M95 mo ago52014Henry Hu
Co-Founder & CEO
6 patents
Manufacturing concentrated food extracts and flavorings for beverages and food products
28Upside Robotics
Developer of AI powered robots for agriculture
45Growth top 35%Tech top 38%Funding top 44%AI top 45%
All 8 signals ▾
Growthtop 35%
Techtop 38%
Fundingtop 44%
AItop 45%
Partnerstop 45%
Talentbottom 49%
Globalbottom 36%
Marketbottom 25%
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Tech: 37 technologies across 4/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare
rank vs industry peers · Fliar Intelligence Index 45/100
$8M5 mo ago2024Jana Tian
Co-Founder & CEO
29Mantis Robotics
Manufacturer of an arm-based collaborative robot
$7M16 mo ago22020Gerry Vannuffelen
Co-Founder & CEO
7 patents
Industrial robot safety and protection via hand-guided control, robust casings, and object sensors
2 launchs
30Moray Medical
Provider of smart devices for catheter control
$6M65 mo ago42017Phillip Laby
Co-Founder and COO
31Civ Robotics
Developer of robotic equipment for automated construction layout and surveying
$5M12 mo ago222018Liav Muler
Co-Founder & COO
32Faction
Developer of driverless vehicle platform for delivery and vehicle on-demand
$4M32 mo ago82020Ain Mckendrick
Founder & CEO
23 patents
Layer‑2 multi‑tenant data center networking and integrated cloud storage solutions
33Cosmic Robotics
Provider of robotics technology services for construction
$4M14 mo ago2023James Emerick
Co-Founder & CEO
1 partnership
34Humanola
Developer of a platform for robotic teleoperation and robot learning data
$2M8 mo ago2025Akbar Erkinov
Co-Founder
2 launchs
35Dispatch
Self driven vehicles for last mile delivery
$2M123 mo ago420153 patents
Blockchain-based data distribution and autonomous vehicle intersection navigation
36Graze
Provider of SaaS-based autonomous commercial lawn mowing solutions
$1M73 mo ago820194 patents
Robotic autonomous electric lawn mower systems and control algorithms
37Marine Applied Research and Exploration
Marine research and exploration for ocean conservation and management
$958K82 mo ago2003Dirk Rosen
Founder
1 launch
38Creator
Produces and supplies burgers made by robots
$345K109 mo ago352009Alexandros Vardakostas
Co-Founder & CEO
93 patents
Smart automated food processing and cooking equipment with wireless temperature control
39Revolve Robotics
Telepresence robots for education, business, healthcare, customer service, and fun
$300K158 mo ago82012Marcus Rosenthal
Founder & CEO
14 patents
Automated robotic camera stands for videoconferencing control and positioning
40Qoowa
Picking and sorting robotic solutions for the e-commerce industry
$200K105 mo ago2017Simon Kalouche
CEO
41Mitra Robot
Provider of AI-powered robotic solutions for customer engagement and training
$190K57 mo ago32016
42Roin
Limited information available
$125K60 mo ago12020
43MiFood
Provider of automation and robotization services to the food industry
$100K44 mo ago2017Ruben Miranda
Founder & CEO
44Peanut Robotics
Provider of robotic cleaning services
$100K95 mo ago142016Joe Augenbraun
CEO
45Unsupervised
Provider of web-based last-mile robotic solution and warehouse automation system
$100K105 mo ago42017Clement Jambou
Co-Founder & CEO
8 patents
Advanced data subset comparison and DAG-based dataset similarity analysis

Top 12 Professional Service Robots companies in San Francisco

#1
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2014 · 164 employees
$231.2Mraised

Operator of autonomous robots for delivery of goods and advertising. The robots utilize sensors and machine learning to navigate and deliver items. These robots deliver hot food, groceries, and industrial supplies to customers. The company offers solutions for university campuses, grocery retailers, delivery applications, and industrial sites.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 72how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 17%
News
top 17%
Customers
top 29%
AI
top 30%
Moat
top 31%
Tech
top 35%
Funding: Raised $231M across 8 rounds · 8 rounds over 9 yrs (0.9/yr) · Last round Series C (Oct 2025)
News: 7 BI events in 12 mo (of 71 tracked, 7 types) · +600% YoY · 4 high-value events (IPO/M&A/funding/contracts) in 12 mo
Customers: Play-Store rating 4.54★ across 11,572 ratings (1 apps) · Review volume +3% in 6 mo
Audience (LinkedIn): 45k LinkedIn followers — 11.5% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Oct 2025Series C$50M
  • Jan 2024Series C$90M
  • Mar 2022Series B$42M
  • Jan 2022Venture Debt$57M
Founders & team
Janus FriisCo-FounderAhti HeinlaCo-Founder
Investors
TDK Ventures, Goodyear Ventures, European Investment Bank, Plural, Iconical, Morpheus Ventures
Tech stack
ActivecampaignAmazon AlbAmazon SesAmazon Web ServicesAngieApache Http Server
#2
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2021 · 8 employees
$63Mraised

Developer of robots to automate repetitive wet lab tasks. It uses AI technology to create solutions for lab bench, pipetting, loading biological samples into machines, and doing other repetitive, manual work.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 6k LinkedIn followers · 134 engagements/post (2.2× cohort median)
Hiring: 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public)
Funding rounds
  • Dec 2025Series A$52M
  • Sep 2025Series A$11M
Founders & team
Michelle LeeCEO
Investors
Human Capital, Lux Capital, Neo, NFDG, Catalio Capital Management, Menlo Ventures
Tech stack
CloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementGoogle Font ApiGoogle Hosted LibrariesGoogle WorkspaceHsts
#3
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2024
$13.4Mraised

Provider of autonomous robotic bathroom cleaning solutions. This robot cleans commercial bathrooms thoroughly, mimicking human cleaning methods. It operates independently, navigating buildings and opening doors. The robot is adaptable to various bathroom configurations and surface types, adhering to sanitation best practices. It offers consistent, high-quality cleaning at a reduced cost compared to traditional methods, and allows for remote quality assurance via robot recordings.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 7k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
  • Apr 2026Series A$11.8M
  • May 2025Seed$1.6M
Founders & team
Antonio ArbuesCo-FounderMiks OzolsCo-Founder & CEO
Investors
Byfounders, Unruly Capital, Acequia Capital, Earthling VC, Boost VC, Founderful
Tech stack
CloudflareFramer SitesGoogle Font ApiGoogle WorkspaceHstsHttp/3
#4
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2020 · 34 employees
$30Mraised

Provider of MRI and robotics technology for neurology. The company is developing an intraoperative MR, AI, and a robot that allows easy access to MR imaging for screening, diagnosis, and interventions of neurological diseases.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 7k LinkedIn followers
Funding rounds
  • Sep 2025Grant (prize money)$1.9M
  • Feb 2025Grant (prize money)$1.9M
  • Aug 2024Series A$15.6M
  • May 2024Series A$6.7M
Founders & team
Abhita VohraCo-Founder & CSOAmit VohraCo-Founder & CEO
Investors
Zynext Ventures, Zepp Labs, ShangBay Capital, HHS, Kyto Technology & Life Science, Blacktop Capital
Tech stack
CloudflareGoogle Font ApiGoogle Hosted LibrariesHstsHttp/3Jquery
#5
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2024
$7.5Mraised

Developer of AI powered robots for agriculture. They claim they aims to improve farm profitability while aligning with climate goals through innovative precision agriculture solutions. They specializes in developing AI scout and spray robots to eliminate guesswork in nitrogen management.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 45how this company ranks against its industry peers
Growth
top 35%
Tech
top 38%
Funding
top 44%
AI
top 45%
Partners
top 45%
Talent
bottom 49%
Growth: Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Tech: 37 technologies across 4/8 capability areas · Cloud: Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare · Security: Hsts, Http/3
Funding: Raised $7.5M across 1 rounds · 1 rounds over 1 yrs (1.0/yr) · Last round Seed (Feb 2026)
Audience (LinkedIn): 3k LinkedIn followers
Hiring (LinkedIn): 3 hiring posts in 12 mo (public) · momentum -2 · hiring: Data & AI Lead, Senior Mechanical Engineer / Industrial Designer
Funding rounds
  • Feb 2026Seed$7.5M
Founders & team
Jana TianCo-Founder & CEO
Investors
Plural, Garage Capital, Entrepreneur First
Tech stack
Amazon Web ServicesCore-JsFacebook PixelFramer SitesGoogle AnalyticsGoogle Font Api
#6
Acquired · San Francisco, California · founded 2016 · 73 employees
$128.2Mraised

Developer of agricultural weeding technology using AI and computer vision. The company’s technology is designed to help farmers improve productivity and profitability. The system offers weed removal and precision cultivation. The equipment is designed for straightforward service and maintenance. Software updates are pushed regularly, and weeding precision can be adjusted.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 69how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 21%
Growth
top 26%
Innovation
top 28%
Moat
top 28%
Patents
top 30%
Product
top 36%
Funding: Raised $128M across 7 rounds · 7 rounds over 9 yrs (0.8/yr) · Last round Series C (Nov 2024)
Growth: Headcount 40 → 73 (+82%) across vintages · Fresh capital in last 24 mo
Innovation: 37 patents (top 37% of patent-holders) · 25 filings since 2022 vs 12 in 2017-21 · 2 product lines
Audience (LinkedIn): 29k LinkedIn followers — 7.4% of this cohort's audience
Hiring (LinkedIn): 1 hiring post in 12 mo (public) · hiring: Full Stack Engineer
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 partnerships (incl. Taylor Farms) announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Nov 2024Series C$8M
  • Jun 2024Series B$3.7M
  • Feb 2024Series B$10M
  • May 2023Series B$51.4M
Investors
Felicis Ventures, Valley Oak Investments, Basis Set Ventures, Playground Global, Fall Line Capital, Middleland Capital
Tech stack
Amazon SesAmazon Web ServicesGoogle AnalyticsHstsJqueryJquery Cdn
#7
Nimble 🦄
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2017 · 82 employees
$221Mraised

Provider of robotic third-party logistics services for various product categories. The company offers autonomous fulfillment solutions, including robotic picking, packing, and sorting. Services include transportation and cloud logistics for optimizing warehouse locations and inventory. The company's technology handles items across apparel, health and beauty, electronics, and consumer packaged goods.

Fliar Intelligence Index™ 67how this company ranks against its industry peers
Funding
top 20%
AI
top 20%
Moat
top 28%
Growth
top 35%
Innovation
top 46%
Market
top 48%
Funding: Raised $221M across 4 rounds · 4 rounds over 5 yrs (0.8/yr) · Last round Series C (Sep 2024)
AI: Classified as an AI company
Moat: Editorial + unicorn rating 8/10 · IP moat: 12 patents · Unicorn
Audience (LinkedIn): 21k LinkedIn followers — 5.4% of this cohort's audience
Activity (LinkedIn): 1 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Sep 2024Series C$106M
  • Mar 2023Series B$65M
  • Mar 2021Series A$50M
  • Sep 2018Grant (prize money)$58.1K
Founders & team
Simon KaloucheFounder & CEO
Investors
DNS Capital, GSR Ventures, Accel, Reinvent Capital, Cedar Pine, Breyer Capital
Tech stack
CdnjsCloudflareGoogle WorkspaceGsapHstsHttp/3
#8
Series C · San Francisco, California · founded 2014 · 23 employees
$103.9Mraised

Developing robotic products for retail execution. Its solution called is a robot that moves around the shelves in a retail store and performs autonomous shelf auditing. In the process, it marks low-stock items, out-of-stock items, misplaced items, and pricing and promo execution.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 25k LinkedIn followers — 6.3% of this cohort's audience
Activity: 3 awards announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Oct 2024Series C$50M
  • Jul 2023Series B$28M
  • Sep 2019Series A$25.9M
  • Nov 2015Seed
Founders & team
Jeff GeeCo-Founder and CDO
Investors
Goldman Sachs, Valo Ventures, Eclipse, Pathbreaker Ventures, Venrock, HAX
Tech stack
6SenseApache Http ServerApple Icloud MailCloudflareCloudflare Bot ManagementCodeigniter
#9
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2019 · 12 employees
$22.4Mraised

Developer of artificial intelligence-enabled robotic systems for food production. These systems are designed to increase production volume and reduce food waste. The robots are equipped with artificial intelligence to handle food variability. The company offers robotics as a service, providing hardware, software, support, and updates. The robotic module is certified for food safety and cleanability.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 29k LinkedIn followers — 7.4% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
  • Mar 2025Conventional Debt$22.5M
  • Mar 2025Series A$20.6M
  • Jan 2024Conventional Debt
  • Jan 2024Series A$14.8M
Founders & team
Rajat BhageriaFounder & CEO
Investors
Kleiner Perkins, Promus Ventures, Scirra, Bloomberg Beta, Bold Capital Partners, Tau Ventures
Tech stack
Amazon S3Amazon Web ServicesApple Icloud MailCdnjsCloudflareCloudflare Bot Management
#10
Series B · San Francisco, California · founded 2025
$11Mraised

Developer of a service layer for physical artificial intelligence applications. It provides a shared protocol aligning robots, data, and human interaction. This enables intelligence to carry forward across deployments. The company focuses on context-optimized embodiments, high-quality data for training physical AI models, and foundational model research and development. Accessible human-in-the-loop operation is also a key feature.

Funding rounds
  • Jun 2025Series B$11M
Founders & team
Chyna QuCo-FounderBayley WangCo-Founder
Investors
a16zcrypto, Blockchain Builders Fund, Symbolic Capital, Volt Capital, Virtuals Protocol
Tech stack
Apple Sign-InFramer SitesGoogle AnalyticsGoogle CloudGoogle Cloud CdnGoogle Cloud Trace
#11
Series A · San Francisco, California · founded 2019 · 12 employees
$12.2Mraised

Provider of AI-based automated waste sorting robots. It provides a proprietary robotic design that picks and sorts with high precision, sorts 30 plus different materials, and more.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 17k LinkedIn followers — 4.3% of this cohort's audience
Funding rounds
  • Apr 2025Series A$16M
  • Mar 2024Series A$7.7M
  • Apr 2022Seed$4.5M
Founders & team
Areeb MalikCo-FounderRebecca ThramsCo-Founder
Investors
New Enterprise Associates, The Climate Pledge, AlleyCorp, VSC Ventures, Overture, Ecosystem Integrity Fund
#12
Seed · San Francisco, California · founded 2025
$2.4Mraised

Developer of a platform for robotic teleoperation and robot learning data. The platform facilitates remote operation of humanoids and robot arms. It automates processing of multimodal robotics data, turning sensor streams into training datasets. The company collects real robot data and human demonstration datasets for robot learning models.

LinkedIn Pulse recent public activity · Jul 2026
Audience: 276 LinkedIn followers
Activity: 2 product launches announced in 12 mo
Funding rounds
  • Nov 2025Seed$2.4M
Founders & team
Akbar ErkinovCo-FounderSanjar AtamuradovCo-Founder

Funding & investor landscape

$1.7Btotal disclosed funding
45companies funded
115disclosed rounds
1rounds last 90 days
Most active investors
Lemnos7 rounds
Alumni Ventures5 rounds
HAX5 rounds
Baseline Ventures4 rounds
DCVC4 rounds
Hemisphere Ventures4 rounds
SOSV4 rounds
Bloomberg Beta3 rounds
Boost VC3 rounds
Comet Labs3 rounds

Notable founders

Janus Friis
Co-Founder · Starship Technologies
Ahti Heinla
Co-Founder · Starship Technologies
Michelle Lee
CEO · Medra
Antonio Arbues
Co-Founder · Loki Robotics
Miks Ozols
Co-Founder & CEO · Loki Robotics
Abhita Vohra
Co-Founder & CSO · Neuro42 AI
Amit Vohra
Co-Founder & CEO · Neuro42 AI
Jana Tian
Co-Founder & CEO · Upside Robotics
Simon Kalouche
Founder & CEO · Nimble
Jeff Gee
Co-Founder and CDO · Simbe Robotics
Rajat Bhageria
Founder & CEO · Chef Robotics
Chyna Qu
Co-Founder · Prismax
Prism market signals · United States · country-scoped Prism corpus, 18,850,280 docs

Market landscape — 10 sub-themes by coverage

Share of Professional Service Robots coverage by sub-theme.

Regulatory-risk over time rising

Funding & growth over time

funding rising · growth rising

RESEARCH SIGNALS · United States

How research on Robotics is moving in the United States

A read on the academic research around Robotics — which themes are gaining ground, the institutions and researchers driving them, and how the tone is shifting. Based on 6,649 United States-affiliated papers.

research sentiment over time
200820172026
enthusiastic · positive · guarded tone
Tone is overwhelmingly optimistic and intensifying — the enthusiastic (strongly-positive) share moved 47% → 64% across 2008–2026.
top research entities
  • Carnegie Mellon University391
  • Robotics Research255
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology234
  • Purdue University West Lafayette187
  • Georgia Institute of Technology181
leading researchers
Freederia AI Researcher · Vijay Kumar · Daniela Rus · Ndoni, Albi · Lydia E. Kavraki · Stefan Schaal · Chaomin Luo · Maxim Likhachev
Breakthroughs3,150 · 47%
▲ 47%→48% share
▲1.0× share momentum0 median citations83% since 2021mostly methods-led
Reinforcement learning breakthroughs are surging — U.S. robotics papers rose from 11 to 259, a 24× increase.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
  • Motion planning144→573
  • Reinforcement learning11→259
  • Path (computing)39→266
  • Trajectory40→257
  • Task (project management)25→230
Newly emergingAdaptability 0→90 · Drone 0→54 · Adaptation (eye) 0→34
Landmark Are we ready for autonomous driving? The KITTI vision benchmark suite · 14,099 cites
Advancements2,106 · 32%
32%→32% share
▲1.0× share momentum0 median citations84% since 2021mostly methods-led
Automation advancements are intensifying — U.S. robotics advancement papers climbed from 3 to 107 since baseline.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
  • Motion planning79→330
  • Path (computing)27→181
  • Reinforcement learning9→136
  • Mobile robot16→125
  • Automation3→107
Newly emergingFlexibility (engineering) 0→31 · Scalability 0→29 · Engineering management 0→28
Landmark Reinforcement learning in robotics: A survey · 3,001 cites
Concerns728 · 11%
▲ 10%→11% share
▲1.1× share momentum0 median citations82% since 2021mostly reviews
Human–computer interaction concerns are rising — U.S. robotics safety papers grew from 20 to 52.
rising sub-themes (early→recent)
  • Automation5→60
  • Key (lock)5→50
  • Field (mathematics)11→46
  • Human–computer interaction20→52
  • Human–robot interaction8→40
Newly emergingApplications of artificial intelligence 0→30 · Software deployment 0→27 · Transformative learning 0→25
Landmark A Comprehensive Survey on Transfer Learning · 5,943 cites
RESEARCH HOTSPOTS · United States

Where robotics is researched across United States

Location clusters by institution affiliation — each city's volume, stance tone, and a quick read on its hot topic, what's advancing, the opening opportunity, and the main concern.

Boston534 · +0.65
Hot · Motion planningAdvancing · Path (computing)Opportunity · AdaptabilityConcern · Data science
Pittsburgh413 · +0.60
Hot · Motion planningAdvancing · PlannerOpportunity · Action (physics)Concern · Bridge (graph theory)
SF Bay Area305 · +0.66
Hot · Reinforcement learningAdvancing · Cloud computingOpportunity · DroneConcern · Risk analysis (engineering)
Los Angeles223 · +0.62
Hot · TerrainAdvancing · Robust controlOpportunity · Haptic technologyConcern · Human–computer interaction
New York221 · +0.53
Hot · Robotic surgeryAdvancing · GestureOpportunity · Motion (physics)Concern · State (computer science)
Atlanta189 · +0.60
Hot · Triboelectric effectAdvancing · Electronic skinOpportunity · Action (physics)Concern · Data science
Philadelphia136 · +0.66
Hot · Obstacle avoidanceAdvancing · HeuristicsOpportunity · Automation
Ann Arbor120 · +0.66
Hot · RendezvousAdvancing · Zero moment pointOpportunity · Motion (physics)
Seattle105 · +0.59
Hot · TransformerAdvancing · Point cloudOpportunity · Artificial neural networkConcern · Adversarial system
San Diego87 · +0.66
Hot · HeuristicAdvancing · Mechanism (biology)Opportunity · Actuator
PATENT SIGNAL · United States

Who's filing robotics patents in the United States

United States robotics patent filing is accelerating — 77,983 filings from 8,000 assignees (2016–2025), led by Rockwell Automation TECH, Boeing, Fisher Rosemount Systems; annual filings 5131→7700.

77,983 filings8,000 assigneespeak 9192/yr2016–2025
filing momentum (YoY 2016–2025)
top patent filers
  • Rockwell Automation TECH3577
  • Boeing3104
  • Fisher Rosemount Systems2998
  • Intuitive Surgical Operations2264
  • Applied Materials2089
  • General Electric2005
  • Honeywell INT1924
  • IBM1325

Common questions

How many Professional Service Robots companies are there in San Francisco, United States?
Radar tracks 59 indexable Professional Service Robots companies headquartered in San Francisco, United States that meet our profile-completeness bar.
What is the total funding raised by Professional Service Robots companies in San Francisco, United States?
The Professional Service Robots companies in San Francisco, United States on this list have raised a combined $1.7B in disclosed equity funding across 45 funded companies.
Which is the highest-funded Professional Service Robots company in San Francisco, United States?
Starship Technologies is the highest-funded Professional Service Robots company in San Francisco, United States, with $231.2M in disclosed equity funding.
How many Professional Service Robots companies in San Francisco, United States are funded?
45 of the 59 Professional Service Robots companies in San Francisco, United States on this list have disclosed at least one equity funding round.
How many Professional Service Robots unicorns are there in San Francisco, United States?
1 Professional Service Robots company in San Francisco, United States on this list is valued at $1B or more.
Who are the top investors in San Francisco, United States Professional Service Robots companies?
The most active investors in San Francisco, United States Professional Service Robots companies on this list include Lemnos, Alumni Ventures, HAX, Baseline Ventures, DCVC.
Rohit KhannaTrends & Stories

Rohit lives in the feed. He covers what's moving right now — the funding rounds, launches and shifts breaking across the trade press — and ties them back to where the sector is heading.

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