The $30 million startup has built a robot factory the size of a dog cage to learn by observing humans

San Francisco-based startup MicroFactory has developed a compact desktop manufacturing kit that comes with two robotic arms that can be trained through manual demonstrations or artificial intelligence. Co-founder and CEO Igor Kulakov stressed that universal non-humanoid robots are designed to simplify hardware and artificial intelligence integration. This closed workstation can perform precision tasks such as board assembly and welding, and is trained faster than traditional programming through physical guidance. Founded in 2024, the company recently completed a $1.5 million seed round at a valuation of $30 million and plans to produce 1,000 units per year, mainly for electronic assembly and a variety of applications.