Dyna Robotics has raised $23.5 million in seed funding to develop cost-efficient embodied AI robots designed to perform real-world tasks, starting with industries like food prep and packaging. The round was co-led by CRV and First Round Capital, with the investment fueling Dyna’s vision of creating practical AI-powered robots businesses can deploy without breaking the bank.
While AI has made remarkable strides in language, image, and video processing, embodied AI — machines capable of performing physical tasks in complex environments — still faces significant hurdles. Dyna Robotics aims to bridge that gap by focusing on mastering one task at a time. Their first robots feature a pair of stationary robotic arms designed to handle repetitive jobs like folding and food preparation, paving the way for broader adoption across industries.
“Many companies are eager to automate tasks, but the market lacks affordable solutions,” said Lindon Gao, co-founder and CEO of Dyna Robotics. “Embodied AI remains far behind other AI models because it needs vast, high-fidelity real-world datasets, which are hard to collect. Simulations can’t fully replicate the complexity of physical environments. That’s why we’re building practical, task-specific datasets — from packaging goods to cleaning restrooms — and delivering immediate value while pushing the boundaries of embodied AI.”
Gao believes their step-by-step approach will unlock massive potential as more companies seek ways to automate labor-intensive tasks. Instead of chasing expensive humanoid robots, Dyna Robotics is laser-focused on developing simpler, affordable systems that can be deployed today.
“High costs are one of the biggest barriers to bringing AI robots into everyday business operations,” said Bill Trenchard, Partner at First Round Capital. “A humanoid robot costs upwards of six figures — if it’s even available. Dyna’s strategy of focusing on what’s achievable with stationary arms drastically cuts costs and complexity, giving businesses access to AI-powered automation now. It’s a smart, scalable approach that will drive faster embodied AI adoption.”
The startup’s founding team brings a wealth of expertise in AI and robotics. Gao and co-founder York Yang previously founded Caper AI, which developed AI-powered smart shopping carts and was acquired for $350 million. Today, Caper’s technology is used in grocery stores worldwide. Their third co-founder, Jason Ma, a former DeepMind researcher, has spent years building robotics foundation models and leading breakthroughs in teaching robots to master real-world skills at scale. His work has earned recognition at prestigious conferences like ICRA, CORL, and ICML.
“Dyna Robotics is uniquely positioned at the intersection of deep AI research and proven commercial execution,” said Max Gazor, General Partner at CRV. “The founding team has shown they can build groundbreaking technology and bring it to market. We’re excited to support them as they unlock new levels of productivity with embodied AI robots.”
With this funding, Dyna Robotics plans to ramp up development of its specialized robotic systems while expanding real-world deployments. By collecting extensive task-specific data in production settings, the company aims to accelerate the journey toward general-purpose embodied AI — one real-world task at a time.
