Deep-Tech Start-Up Armatrix Raises $2.1Mn to Build AI-Native 'Snake Robots' for Industrial Use

Deep-tech robotics start-up Armatrix has raised $2.1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by pi Ventures, with participation from Inuka Capital, Boundless Ventures, Boost VC, Turbostart and returning investor gradCapital.

The Bengaluru-based start-up said the funds will be used to complete development of its proprietary snake-like robotic arm, expand its engineering and research teams, and accelerate pilot deployments with industrial customers.

Founded in 2024 by IIT Kanpur engineers Vishrant Dave, Prateesh Awasthi and Ayush Ranjan, Armatrix specialises in hyper-redundant snake-like robotic systems designed to operate in confined and hazardous industrial environments. The company has already built a functional three-metre proof-of-concept arm and secured institutional backing within two years of its founding.

Armatrix’s robotic arm, measuring 3–5 metres in length and just 50–150 mm in diameter, features more than 22 degrees of freedom, enabling it to navigate tight spaces and complex internal structures inaccessible to humans or conventional rigid robotic arms. The platform integrates modular end-effectors, allowing a single robotic arm to perform multiple inspection and operational tasks without requiring different machines for each function.

The system’s key technological differentiation lies in its extrinsic actuation architecture, where motors are located outside the arm rather than within it. This design improves safety and enables the robot to operate in flammable, high-temperature and liquid environments where traditional robotic arms cannot function effectively. The arm also incorporates AI-driven navigation for real-time path planning and digital-twin simulation to model and optimise operations before deployment.

Armatrix is targeting industries such as shipbuilding, nuclear energy, oil and gas, and aviation, where inspection and maintenance often require human entry into confined and dangerous spaces. The company aims to reduce safety risks, maintenance downtime and operational costs while improving efficiency.

The global robotics maintenance market, valued at $41.66 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $150 billion by 2032, presenting a significant growth opportunity.

CEO Vishrant Dave said, “Our mission is to move from a reactive, high-cost maintenance model to a proactive, zero-downtime standard, creating a paradigm shift in industrial inspection and maintenance. This funding enables us to scale from proof-of-concept to early adopters, and prove out the platform across inspection and other operations in the field”

Armatrix aims to emerge as a globally competitive robotics company building AI-native systems for mission-critical industrial operations.