Cobalt Robotics

AcquiredRaised Since Featured

Safer robot security

Autonomous indoor security robots that combine AI-driven patrols with human-in-the-loop oversight for commercial buildings.

Founded January 2016San Francisco, CA51-100 people$66.5M raisedFeatured at Series B

cobaltai.com inLinkedIn Crunchbase

RoboticsSecurityAiAutonomous RobotsEnterpriseRaasComputer VisionHardware

About

Cobalt Robotics (now Cobalt AI) builds autonomous indoor security robots that patrol commercial buildings, combining advanced sensor arrays with human specialists to deliver 24/7 security coverage at a fraction of the cost of traditional guards. Founded in 2016 by Travis Deyle (PhD roboticist from Georgia Tech, former Google[x]) and Erik Schluntz (Harvard EE, former SpaceX engineer, Forbes 30 Under 30), the company pioneered a Robots-as-a-Service model where 5-foot-tall mobile robots equipped with LIDAR, cameras, badge readers, and environmental sensors autonomously patrol offices, warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. When a robot encounters an anomaly, it escalates to a remote human specialist who can interact with people on-site via the robot's screen and speakers. The company raised $66.5M from Sequoia Capital, Coatue, and Bloomberg Beta before being acquired in June 2024 by Dean Drako, founder of Eagle Eye Networks, and rebranded to Cobalt AI to reflect its expanded focus on AI-powered security automation.

DailyDropout Take

Cobalt Robotics stood out for its pragmatic approach to autonomous security — rather than trying to replace human judgment entirely, they built robots that escalate to remote specialists when things get interesting. With Sequoia and Coatue backing, enterprise customers like FedEx and Salesforce, and a cost structure two-thirds cheaper than traditional guards, they proved the Robots-as-a-Service model works. The 2024 acquisition by Eagle Eye Networks founder Dean Drako validated the thesis and expanded their AI ambitions.

Discovery signal: Sequoia Capital lead (Series A), rapid enterprise adoption with Fortune 500 customers, novel human-in-the-loop approach to autonomous security, strong founder pedigree (Google[x] + SpaceX).

What Makes Them Unique

Cobalt uniquely combines autonomous mobile robots with a human-in-the-loop Global Security Operations Center, enabling real-time human interaction through the robot when anomalies are detected — bridging the gap between fully autonomous and fully manned security.

$66.5M

Total Raised

~66% vs security officer

Cost Savings

Funding Rounds

Target Markets

Enterprise OfficesWarehousesManufacturingData CentersRetail

Founders

Travis Deyle

Co-Founder & CEO

PhD in Electrical Engineering (Robotics) from Georgia Tech. Former Senior Hardware Engineer at Google[x] Life Sciences. Researcher at Georgia Tech Healthcare Robotics Lab.