Summary:
Hugging Face acquires Pollen Robotics to enhance its robotics capabilities.
Pollen Robotics aims to make humanoid robots affordable for homes.
Founded in 2016, Pollen raised €2.5 million before its acquisition.
Hugging Face plans to sell Reachy 2 and promote open-source development.
The acquisition expands Hugging Face's previous collaboration with Pollen on ‘Le Robot’.
In Brief
Posted: 7:37 AM PDT · April 14, 2025
AI development platform Hugging Face has made a significant move by acquiring Pollen Robotics, a French startup, for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition is set to enhance Hugging Face's foothold in the robotics sector.
Pollen Robotics is known for its mission to bring affordable humanoid robots into homes. Founded in 2016 by Matthieu Lapeyre and Pierre Rouanet, the company successfully raised €2.5 million (approximately $2.83 million) from various investors, including Bpifrance, before this exit.
Hugging Face intends to sell Pollen's humanoid robot, Reachy 2, while also allowing developers to download and suggest improvements to its code. This initiative aligns with Hugging Face’s vision of making robotics more accessible and open-source.
“If you've followed the progress of robotics in the past 18 months, you've likely noticed how robotics is increasingly becoming the next frontier that AI will unlock.” — Thomas Wolf (@Thom_Wolf)
This acquisition marks a strategic expansion for Hugging Face in the robotics field, as they previously collaborated with Pollen to create “Le Robot,” an open-source robot designed for various household tasks. Hugging Face has also established a dedicated robotics team led by Remi Cadene, a former engineer from Tesla’s Optimus program.
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