San Francisco-based Raise Robotics makes robots to automate high-risk construction jobs, improve workplace safety and cut construction costs. Founders Gary Chen and Conley Oster started the company in 2021, inspired by Chen’s research on autonomous cars and Oster’s work as a structural engineer for crane and rigging companies.
Raises’s multi-tool bots can scan and drill, plot site layouts and handle installations. The bots perform jobs that often require workers to be in compromised and unsafe positions or require repetitive motions, which increase the odds of injury.
Raise secured $7.8 million in a seed equity round led by MaC Venture Capital, a Black-led venture fund focused on diverse founders, economic inclusion and environmental solutions. Undivided Ventures, Cybernetix Ventures, Union Labs and Zacua Ventures participated.
“With mounting pressure from labor constraints, cost overruns, and safety risks, the need for adaptable, automation-ready solutions has never been greater,” said Zacua Ventures’ Vivin Hedge.
Raise’s robots are designed to work in extreme temperatures, from 15 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. As heat waves and other extreme weather-related events intensify because of climate change, such tech solutions will be crucial for construction and other industries that depend on large outdoor workforces.
The robots also fill in skills gaps for specialized project needs. On the 15-story St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., Raise’s robotics prevented a months-long delay when the project developer struggled to find a skilled crew to install glass panels.
