A 26-year-old Melbourne engineer is building humanoid robots for aged care, and a top US fund just led a $23M round into her company.
The robot
Andromeda Robotics was founded in 2022 by Grace Brown and Yan Chen. Their robot is called Abi. She is about 120cm tall, brightly coloured and blows bubbles. Abi keeps a memory of each resident, hosts music quizzes and singalongs, sways along to the music and holds conversations in a resident’s preferred language. The newer Genesis version can find her own way around a facility on a schedule set by care staff.
Why it matters
In Australia, up to 40% of aged care residents do not receive visitors. The US has the same loneliness problem, plus a worsening staffing shortage. Abi is not meant to replace people. She fills the hours when a resident would otherwise be alone in their room.
The raise
The $23M Series A was led by US firm Forerunner Ventures, valuing Andromeda at $100M, according to Business News Australia. Rethink Impact, Main Sequence, Artesian, Visible Ventures and Trampoline came in, alongside earlier backers Purpose Ventures and Startmate. The money funds a push into US senior care, and Brown has moved to San Francisco to lead it.
My read
Australia is starting to show up in humanoid robotics, a race so far dominated by the US and China. Starting with aged care, where the need is obvious, is a smart place to begin.