Finance editor Jeff John Roberts here. The explosive growth of the robotics industry in recent years is reflected in new technology feats, but also by the proliferation of new business and distribution models. Ultra, a startup that leases its devices to warehouses under a monthly “robots as a service” model, is a case in point. On Friday, the Brooklyn-based company announced it had raised $62 million, while also deepening a partnership with the buzzy “robot brains” AI firm Physical Intelligence.
Ultra’s funding came in two rounds: a $50 million Series A led by Framework Ventures with participation from Y Combinator, and an earlier $12 million seed round led by the latter and Next View.
