Trener Robotics lands $32M for AI factory robots

Trener Robotics, formerly T-Robotics, has raised $32 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Engine Ventures and IAG Capital Partners. The investment will fuel the expansion of its Acteris platform, designed to imbue industrial robots with what the company calls "Physical Intelligence." This funding round brings the company's total raised to over $38 million.

AI for the Factory Floor

The Acteris platform acts as an agentic AI layer, enabling robots to learn and adapt in real-time. Instead of rigid coding, operators can describe tasks conversationally, transforming natural language into executable automation. This approach aims to overcome a major bottleneck in industrial automation: the inability of robots to handle dynamic complexity.

Trener's system leverages vision, language, and movement data to allow robots to self-learn and function as more capable teammates on the production line. Key features include natural language programming, adaptive part handling, intelligent collision avoidance, and real-time performance monitoring.

"For decades, industrial robotics has been limited by dynamic complexity, confining millions of robotic arms to repetitive, single-purpose tasks in highly controlled environments," said Dr. Asad Tirmizi, Co-Founder and CEO of Trener Robotics. "We’re fundamentally changing this - transforming robots into intelligent, adaptable teammates by replacing procedural programming with a control system that supports a growing library of production-ready skills."

Scaling Physical Intelligence

The company emphasized that Acteris is a practical, shop-floor-proven solution that integrates with existing manufacturing equipment and supports major robot brands like ABB, Universal Robots, and FANUC. Strategic investors like Cadence and Nikon’s NFocus Fund, alongside Geodesic Capital, highlight the growing importance of software-defined intelligence in manufacturing and the synergy between embodied intelligence and advanced vision technologies.

This investment comes as the market for flexible automation grows, driven by labor shortages and the demand for high-mix production. Trener Robotics' approach positions its Physical Intelligence automation as a critical component for the next generation of smart factories, making advanced capabilities more accessible to manufacturers of all sizes.

Trener Robotics was co-founded in 2024 by CEO Dr. Asad Tirmizi and CTO Dr. Lars Tingelstad, who bring extensive experience from companies like Vicarious, Google, and ByteDance.