Expper Technologies raises a round led by SmartGateVC - 2020: Pilots in California and Massachusetts
We’re delighted to welcome Expper Technologies to the SmartGateVC family as the lead investor in their pre-seed round.
In a rapidly growing robotics market, robots automate and disrupt industries ranging from manufacturing to delivery. Unlike robots that work independently of people, social robotics is about designing robots that can collaborate with people and work as a teammate. The need for emotionally intelligent, yet scalable and affordable technology that can support a deeper human interaction couldn’t be more needed today.
Expper Technologies aims to disrupt the children's healthcare industry by building a companion robot with AI-based behavioral technology, which allows to generate and adapt emotions based on human interaction.
Via replacing predefined responses with dynamic and intelligent emotion generation, the interaction becomes engaging and natural.
The company already has two paying customers. In addition, Expper Technologies is running a paid pilot with Wigmore Medical’s (UK) Pediatric Clinic in Yerevan. The discussions are in progress with a few pediatric hospitals in the US for trials in 2020.
"It was great to be backed by investors who believed in us. We were starting as a customer service robotics company and now ended up in the huge market of childcare," says Karen Khachikyan, the CEO of the company.
“We are extremely proud to back company that is pioneering consumer robotics sector in healthcare and expecting tremendous growth in a field,” says Vazgen Hakobjanyan, partner at SmartGateVC.
“At SmartGateVC, we back extraordinary teams building our future. Expper’s team has an incredible learning curve and one of the most hardworking teams I’ve ever seen. You don’t want to miss such teams,” says Hambardzum Kaghketsyan, partner at SmartGateVC.
“It was exciting for me to follow the conversion of a tech founder into a fast-learning business person and CEO. This is a no easy journey, but we are confident and proud to back Karen and his team,” says Ashot Arzumanyan, partner at SmartGateVC.
Besides SmartGateVC, few other angel investors from Armenia and the US invested in the round.
About SmartGateVC
Backed by Tim Draper and seasoned tech entrepreneurs and professionals, SmartGateVC is a venture capital firm targeting companies in Artificial Intelligence, Security, and the Internet of Things.
