Switzerland-based robotics startup mimic has raised $16 million (~€13.9 million) in seed funding to deploy frontier physical AI for robots capable of handling complex, dexterous tasks in manufacturing and logistics. The round, led by Elaia with participation from Speedinvest and others, brings the startup’s total funding to over $20 million. It will support the development and deployment of mimic’s AI foundation model and humanoid robotic hands. Co-founder and CEO Stefan Weirich said, “We make dexterity deployable at scale, closing the gap between what AI can do in the lab and what factories actually need.” Founded in 2024 as a spinoff from ETH Zurich, mimic builds physical AI models trained on real-world human demonstrations to ensure that robots autonomously respond to changes in object position and orientation, handle disturbances, and correct their own actions. “Humanoids are exciting, but there aren’t many industrial scenarios where the full-body form factor truly adds value,” added CPO Stephan-Daniel Gravert.