Viam Expands Horizons Beyond Robotics with Its No-Code Automation Platform
Since our last discussion, Viam has undergone more of a “rebrand” than a pivot, as described by founder and CEO Eliot Horowitz. Approximately six months ago, the Manhattan-based startup decided to broaden its focus beyond its previous outreach to robotics firms. While robotics remains a significant and rapidly growing category, Horowitz asserts that the company’s vision extends far beyond this niche.
“The platform has always been — and will always be — applicable to a wide range of industries, including robotics, IoT, smart homes, industrial automation, and any field involving sensors, actuators, and computation,” explains Horowitz. “Sometime over the summer, we realized that when people saw ‘robotics’ on our homepage, it caused confusion. They would say, ‘we’re not a robotics company — we do food processing, PLC automation, boats, not just robots.'”
Compounding this messaging challenge was the discrepancy between the company’s name, “Viam,” and its social media presence as “Viam Robotics,” due to the unavailability of the four-letter word. Additionally, Viam initially focused much of its outreach on robotics, welcoming members of the local robotics community to its large office overlooking New York City’s Lincoln Center to utilize its platform for automation application development.
The rebranding effort involved diversifying demos and spotlighting new applications beyond robotics, such as insurance and marine industries — a domain that resonates with Horowitz as he speaks to TechCrunch from the bridge of his boat via Zoom. While Viam has onboarded several large enterprise organizations, Horowitz refrains from disclosing specific names at this stage.
Despite the shift in focus, investor interest remains robust. This week, Viam announced a $45 million Series B funding round led by Union Square Ventures and Battery Ventures, bringing the company’s total funding to $87 million. The funding will primarily support research and development efforts and accelerate the deployment of commercial enterprise solutions. Furthermore, Viam is actively expanding its team, aiming to increase its current headcount of 100 employees.
