Cosmic Robotics - Pre-Seed Round
$4M Raised
In the world of heavy metal, dust storms, and infrastructure budgets that read like the GDP of small nations, one startup is quietly welding the future together, bolt by bolt, bot by bot. Say hello to Cosmic Robotics, where field-ready AI and robotics aren’t just concepts on a whiteboard, they’re loading trailers and installing solar panels like union vets on double overtime.
Founded in December 2023 out of San Francisco, because of course they did, Cosmic is the brainchild of two heavy hitters who didn’t come to play. CEO James Emerick cut his teeth at Built Robotics and Autodesk Research, where he basically reverse-engineered the field robot as a species. CTO Lewis Jones helped send the world’s first 3D-printed rocket sky-high at Relativity Space, and also left a footprint at SpaceX. Now they’re aiming their vision back at Earth, because as it turns out, our infrastructure might be the real final frontier.
They just locked in $4 million in pre-seed funding, with Giant Ventures leading the charge. MaC Venture Capital, HCVC, and angels like Azeem Azhar, Aarthi Ramamurthy, and Nate Williams all jumped in early. Throw in a win at the U.S. Department of Energy’s American-Made Solar Prize and backing from the JLL Foundation, and this isn’t just a raise, it’s an ecosystem bet.
Cosmic’s first field bot, Cosmic-1A, isn’t a showroom prop. This eight-wheeled machine tows its own solar panel trailer, lifts 90-pound panels with a robotic arm, and recharges on-site like it owns the place. Cameras, GPS, and an in-house AI platform called Particle help it lock in placement with millimeter-level precision, matching the fastest human installers, but with more endurance and less complaining.
Then there’s TARS, serial number 0001. Already deployed and tested with real customer sites, laying panels in dirt, heat, and God-knows-what-else, and doing it in 30 to 60 seconds per panel. Not a gimmick. A grind.
What makes this different? Cosmic isn’t about replacing jobs, they’re augmenting the workforce. Think Iron Man suit for solar crews. One crew, split in two, installs double the panels with half the labor cost. It’s workforce efficiency without the pink slips.
Right now, the U.S. needs $2 trillion just for energy infrastructure. Solar installation roles are growing 48% by 2033, but labor shortages are already tightening the vise. That’s a market opportunity you can measure in terawatts. And with data centers chewing through power faster than TikTok chews attention spans, the need for fast, scalable solar installs isn’t a someday problem, it’s right now.
They’re building machines for the dirtiest jobs in tech, starting with solar, but that’s just the first mission. What comes after the sun? Cosmic might already have their eyes on it.
Let’s connect and keep the momentum going across the tech ecosystem. Whether you’re a founder shaping the future, a leader driving change, a VC backing bold ideas, or an investor spotting the next big thing—together, we’re pushing boundaries. Proud to be building the future with you.
Let’s connect on LinkedIn and keep the conversation going.