Toyota-Backed Machine Learning Startup Elementary Robotics Raises $30 Million

Samson Amore

Samson Amore is a reporter for dot.LA. He holds a degree in journalism from Emerson College. Send tips or pitches to samsonamore@dot.la and find him on Twitter @Samsonamore.

Toyota-Backed Machine Learning Startup Elementary Robotics Raises $30 Million

As the “great resignation” continues, manufacturers are finding themselves shorthanded, and leaning towards automation to fill the gaps left behind by skilled workers.

Machine learning startup Elementary CEO Arye Barnehama thinks that’s where their software can fill in, doing visual quality inspections in manufacturing lines – a job now mostly filled by humans. The labor shortage, he said, has left companies in the lurch.


“There's so many background pressures on manufacturers, between labor shortages, and supply chain issues, and ecommerce, where you ship directly your customers,” said Barnehama, a Pomona College graduate said. “All of these things really add up to more pressure, and the need to be more repeatable and more automated.”

Launched out of Bill Gross’ Pasadena-based IdeaLab accelerator in 2017, Elementary is gearing up to rapidly expand its headcount and product offerings on the heels of raising a $30 million Series B raise, led by Tiger Global.

Arye Barnehama, CEO of Elementary

Barnehama said the pandemic has accelerated the existing trend towards automating manufacturing plants.

He said prior to the pandemic, it took a lot more convincing to get plants on board with using Elementary’s no-code AI programs to do quality control.

“There was a lot more education needed pre-COVID on why (to use) cloud in manufacturing and now the cloud is really accelerating and growing in manufacturing, and they have strategies and architectures that the top manufacturers are looking to deploy,” Barnehama said. “That's been the biggest transition, and it's gone from education, to now a key feature that (manufacturers) want.”

Elementary’s AI lets assembly line operators do a detailed and rapid check of their parts, which isn’t possible at scale with individual humans checking each step of the process. The company touts attention to detail and speed as two of its key advantages and Barnehama said using technologies like Elementary can help manufacturers ship products faster.

A recent PitchBook report on the robotics industry found that the labor participation rate in the U.S. – the statistic used to estimate how much of the country is working – is 58.8%, still a few points shy of the pre-pandemic high of 61.1%. Basically, fewer people are returning to work, which Pitchbook attributed to “an increased demand for more flexible work arrangements.”

Overall sales of industrial robotics are going up, Pitchbook noted. Sales of robots in North America have totaled roughly $1.5 billion through the third quarter of this year, a new all-time high.

Automotive plants continue to be the main user of industrial robots, though other industries are catching up: Pitchbook’s report notes non-automotive orders have experienced the largest increase so far this year, rising 53% and proving that more industries are looking to get in on the trend.

But the move towards more automated jobs could signal bad news for workers. As businesses pour more money into innovation, it’s difficult to go backwards. As the New York Times recently noted, once a workplace introduces robots, it often doesn’t return to a mostly human workforce.

“The goal is to really enable and empower the teams that (manufacturers) do have, because they're already facing these shortages,” Barnehama said. “Our goal is to superpower the people that they do have, from a quality and remote inspection perspective. We are often deploying to use cases where they're just not monitoring or it's not possible to automate at this time.”

Tiger Global is a new investor in Elementary. Existing investors Fika Ventures, Threshold Ventures, Fathom Capital, Riot VC and Toyota Ventures also participated.

Following this raise, Elementary has raised $47.5 million to date. Part of the Series B will be used to expand its product offering and grow the team of 50 people at least three times that size, Barnehama said.

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LA’s Upgrade in Travel and NBA Viewing
Image Source: Los Angeles World Airports

🔦 Spotlight

Exciting developments are underway for Los Angeles as the city prepares for major upgrades in both travel and entertainment. The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has approved an additional $400 million for the Automated People Mover (APM) at LAX, increasing its total budget to $3.34 billion. This boost ensures the elevated train’s completion by December 8, 2025, with service starting in January 2026. For Angelenos, this means a significant improvement in travel convenience. The APM will streamline connections between parking, rental car facilities, and the new Metro transit station, drastically cutting traffic congestion around the airport. Imagine a future without the dreaded 30-minute traffic delays at LAX! The APM will operate 24/7, reducing airport traffic by 42 million vehicle miles annually and carrying 30 million passengers each year, while also creating thousands of local jobs and supporting small businesses.

Meanwhile, the NBA is also making waves with its new broadcasting deals. The league has signed multi-year agreements with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video, marking a notable shift in media partnerships. ESPN will maintain its long-standing role, NBC returns as a network broadcaster after years away, and Amazon Prime Video will provide NBA games through its streaming platform. Starting with the 2025-2026 season, these deals will enhance the league's reach and revenue, aligning with the NBA's goal to expand its audience and adapt to evolving viewing habits. Whether you're catching the action on TV or streaming online, these changes promise to elevate the fan experience and bring more basketball excitement to Los Angeles.


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🤫 The Secret to Staying Fit at Your Desk: 6 Essential Under-Desk Exercise Machines

Health experts are sounding the alarm: our sedentary jobs are slowly killing us, yet we can't abandon our desks if we want to keep the lights on. It feels like we're caught between a rock and a hard place. Enter under-desk exercise machines – the overlooked heroes (albeit kind of goofy looking) of the modern workspace. These devices let tech professionals stay active, enhance their health, and increase their productivity, all without stepping away from their screens. Here are 6 fantastic options that will enhance the way you work and workout simultaneously.

DeskCycle Under Desk Bike Pedal Exerciser

This bike has nearly ten thousand five-star reviews on amazon. It works with nearly any desk/chair setup. It is quiet, sturdy and allows up to 40 pounds of resistance. If you are looking for an under-desk bike this is a fantastic option.

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Sunny Health & Fitness Dual Function Under Desk Pedal Exerciser

This under-desk bike is extremely quiet due to the magnetic resistance making it an ideal option if you work in a shared space. It doesn’t slip, has eight levels of resistance, and the option to work legs and arms. It’s about half the price of the DeskCycle bike making it a solid mid-range option for those looking to increase their daily activity.

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Sunny Health & Fitness Sitting Under Desk Elliptical

This under-desk elliptical comes in multiple colors if you really want to underscore that you are a quirky individual, in case an under-desk elliptical isn’t enough. This model is a bit heavy (very sturdy), has eight different resistance levels, and has more than nine thousand 5-star reviews.

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DeskCycle Ellipse Leg Exerciser

This under-desk elliptical is another great option. It is a bit pricey but it’s quiet, well-made and has eight resistance levels. It also syncs with your apple watch or fitbit which is a very large perk for those office-wide “step” challenges. Get ready to win.

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Daeyegim Quiet LED Remote Treadmill

If you have a standing desk and are looking to walk and work this is a fantastic option. This walking-only treadmill allows you to walk between 0.5 to 5 mph (or jog unless you have the stride length of an NBA forward). It is very quiet, which is perfect if you want to use it near others or during a meeting. You can’t change the incline or fold it in half but it is great for simply getting in some extra steps during the work day.

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Sunny Health & Fitness Foldable Manual Treadmill

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🤠Musk Picks Texas and 🔥Tinder AI Picks Your Profile Pictures

🔦 Spotlight

Tinder is altering dating profile creation with its new AI-powered Photo Selector feature, designed to help users choose their most appealing dating profile pictures. This innovative tool employs facial recognition technology to curate a set of up to 10 photos from the user's device, streamlining the often time-consuming process of profile setup. To use the feature, users simply take a selfie within the Tinder app and grant access to their camera roll. The AI then analyzes the photos based on factors like lighting and composition, drawing from Tinder's research on what makes an effective profile picture.

The selection process occurs entirely on the user's device, ensuring privacy and data security. Tinder doesn't collect or store any biometric data or photos beyond those chosen for the profile, and the facial recognition data is deleted once the user exits the feature. This new tool addresses a common pain point for users, as Tinder's research shows that young singles typically spend about 25 to 33 minutes selecting a profile picture. By automating this process, Tinder aims to reduce profile creation time and allow users to focus more on making meaningful connections.

In wholly unrelated news, Elon Musk has announced plans to relocate the headquarters of X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX from California to Texas. SpaceX will move from Hawthorne to Starbase, while X will shift from San Francisco to Austin. Musk cited concerns about aggressive drug users near X's current headquarters and a new California law regarding gender identity notification in schools as reasons for the move. This decision follows Musk's previous relocation of Tesla's headquarters to Texas in 2021.

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