Portland, Oregon-based Haystack Robotics has closed a $3.95 million Series A funding round led by an entity associated with Agadia Systems, Inc., pushing its total raise to more than $6.6 million as the startup scales its AI-powered UV-C disinfection platform.
Engineering, Software And New Geographies
Founded in 2021 and led by CEO Mahadev Eakambaram, Haystack said the fresh capital will support engineering development on its Violet AI robot, extend the AI-driven software layer that plans and reports disinfection cycles, and finance a broader global deployment across healthcare, senior living, education, hospitality, fitness and commercial buildings.
Violet AI Targets Antibiotic-Resistant Pathogens
Violet AI Gen4 is a self-driving robot equipped with eight UV-C lamps in the 200-280 nanometer band, designed to break the DNA and cell walls of pathogens including MRSA, C. difficile, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, CRE, VRE and Candida auris. Independent microbiology testing has demonstrated more than a 4-log reduction in target bacteria — a survival rate below one in ten thousand — with an average room cycle time of about 15 minutes and no pre-mapping required.
A Growing Physical AI Deployment Story
Haystack's Series A adds to a wave of smaller physical AI raises reshaping healthcare and building services, and follows Haystack's 2024 seed round of $2.7 million. The company joins a busy autumn for warehouse and service robotics fundraises, alongside Locus Robotics' fresh $41.6 million Series G and Lyte AI's $165 million Series C.
Reporting based on coverage from FinSMEs and Haystack Robotics.