Will robots change the way we work? If you were to ask Rethink Robotics (formerly known as Heartland Robotics), the answer would likely be a resounding ‘absolutely, faster than you think’.
Already backed by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos and a handful of VC firms, the company has raised $30 million (PDF) in Series C funding more to make that happen. All of its previous investors chipped in, with Sigma Partners leading the round, and one new investor, DFJ, also participated.
The company has now raised more than $50 million in total.
Rethink Robotics aims to build an entirely new class of manufacturing robots to help make American manufacturing more cost-competitive on a global scale.
The company was founded in 2008 by Rodney Brooks, a former director of the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and also a co-founder of iRobot, where he and his team invented the Roomba.
The proceeds of the financing round will be used to complete and launch the company’s flagship robot product, begin development of new product lines, and expand sales, marketing and services operations.
Rethink Robotics is based in the Innovation District of Boston, Massachusetts, and the funding round was covered by local media this morning.
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