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Meet Feather, the startup building the ‘Android of robotics’ for developers
Developing
In Short: Feather Robotics, a startup founded last year, is developing a modular robot system that allows developers to customize hardware for various tasks.
Feather Robotics, a startup founded last year, is developing a modular robot system that allows developers to customize hardware for various tasks, according to TechCrunch. The company, founded by Hoa Mai and Parsa Bakhtiari, aims to provide a hardware and software toolkit for developers to tackle real-world tasks.
Unlike other companies like Tesla or Figure, which are focused on building both the body and foundational 'brain' of robots, Feather focuses on providing the necessary tools for developers to build on top of their hardware.
Feather's co-founder Hoa Mai stated, 'You can’t buy a Tesla robot today and develop on top of it.' This highlights Feather's approach of offering a more accessible platform for developers.
The startup has already secured investment from Gradient Ventures, which led Feather's $7.6 million pre-seed round. According to Darian Shirazi, General Partner at Gradient, Feather operates extremely efficiently, having spent only a fraction of its pre-seed funding.
Feather's modular robotic system allows for customization, such as adjusting arm lengths, to suit different use cases. The hardware can run models from leading robotics AI providers, including Generalist, Skild, or Physical Intelligence.
Feather has already begun selling to customers, surpassing $1 million in revenue. The company's robots are currently working as cooks in restaurants in Japan and cleaning up science labs.
Despite the excitement around robotics, the industry is still waiting for a 'ChatGPT moment' where a general-purpose robot can seamlessly adapt to any environment, according to robotics founders and investors.
What this adds
Feather's approach of providing a modular system for developers to customize is a unique strategy in the robotics industry.
What's still developing
- In 2025, after selling his previous humanoid startup to 1X, Mai (pictured left) teamed up with Parsa Bakhtiari (pictured right), a former Tesla Model 3 engineer who at one point reported directly to Elon Musk, to build what the duo hopes will become the Android of robotics.