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This news is a surprise, because everything seemed to be going well for Anki. Since its launch in 2010, the startup has raised more than $ 200 million in venture capital. Its main products, Cozmo and Vector, seem to be successful. Vector launched last fall after a $ 2 million campaign on Kickstarter, and more recently it has been integrated with Alexa. And Cozmo was credited for teaching kids to code. The only shadow of doubt seemed to be that the devices looked more like toys than the advanced AI-based robots they were. Microsoft, Amazon and Comcast have nevertheless expressed interest in acquiring the company.
Anki told Engadget that he was pursuing all the financial possibilities to finance the development of its future products and that management was continuing to explore all available options. In the meantime, the employees will receive a week of severance pay and we may have to say goodbye to the robot buddies who had some kind of Pixar style cue and spirit.
You can read the complete statement of Anki below:
It is with a heavy heart to announce that Anki will drop our employees as of Wednesday. We have shipped millions of product units and left satisfied customers all over the world, while developing some of the most incredible technologies geared towards the future with various applications based on AI and robotics. But without significant funding to support a hardware and software company and bridge to our long-term product roadmap, this is simply not feasible at the moment. Despite our past successes, we have looked for all the financial possibilities to finance the development of our future products and expand our platforms. A major financial agreement was reached late with a strategic investor and we were unable to reach an agreement. We do our best to take care of every employee and their families, and our management team continues to explore all available options.
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