Artly is a robotics-software company. It’s created Artificial Intelligence (AI) to make robots easier and faster to train.
Traditionally, industrial robots need to be programmed for specific tasks. This process can require specialized engineers, considerable time, and significant expense. Artly takes a different approach.
Using technologies including imitation learning and Vision-Language-Action models, Artly enables robots to learn by watching humans perform a task. In some cases, a robot can learn a new skill in as little as 30 minutes, with no coding required.
For example, instead of writing software instructing a robot exactly how to pick up an object, pour a drink, or manipulate a tool, a worker could demonstrate the task. Artly's software captures the movements and uses them to train the robot.
The potential advantage is flexibility. A robot that can quickly learn new skills could be deployed for many more jobs without requiring companies to build new automation systems from scratch.
Artly is already using this approach to teach robots skills including slicing ingredients, peeling fruit, garnishing drinks, and performing tasks requiring two hands.
The company has also introduced “Robot School,” a training platform aimed at helping robot manufacturers adapt AI models to their particular hardware. Artly says the system combines human demonstrations, simulation, reinforcement learning, and real-world operating data to train robots for complex manipulation tasks.
This technology has already been tested extensively in the real world.
According to Artly, its robots have generated millions of dollars in revenue and served more than one million drinks. The company has deployed its technology in dozens of real-world locations, and its robots have operated with organizations including Nvidia, Microsoft, Salesforce, Mayo Clinic, Intel, Cisco, Tesla, and MUJI.
That experience could be important. Many robotics companies are still developing prototypes in controlled environments. Artly's robots have spent years operating around actual customers, providing the company with a growing supply of real-world training data.
Founded in 2021, the company initially made its name with the Barista Bot, an AI-powered robotic system capable of preparing coffee drinks and even pouring latte art. But Artly’s ambitions now extend far beyond coffee. Artly is now looking to take what it learned from Barista Bot and apply it to a much larger market.
Its technology could potentially be used in manufacturing, logistics, food service, retail, and healthcare — industries where companies are increasingly exploring automation to reduce costs and address labor shortages. Artly isn't trying to manufacture every robot itself. Instead, its longer-term opportunity is to provide the intelligence and training technology that enables robots from different manufacturers to learn useful skills.
The company is led by Founder and CEO Meng Wang, a longtime artificial-intelligence entrepreneur. Prior to Artly, Wang founded computer-vision startup Orbeus, which was acquired by Amazon. He subsequently worked at Amazon Web Services and Amazon Robotics, experience that helped lay the groundwork for Artly's technology.
Artly has also attracted backing from venture investors including SV Tech Ventures, Amino Capital, LDV Partners, and Amitop Ventures.