Bright Machines is a San Francisco-based industrial automation company that develops software-defined microfactories combining modular robotic cells, AI software, computer vision, and data intelligence to assemble and inspect electronic products. The company positions its platform as a foundation for reshoring electronics manufacturing and scaling production of AI infrastructure hardware closer to demand.
The company was founded in 2018 by Amar Hanspal and Lior Susan and emerged from Eclipse, the venture firm focused on industrial transformation. Bright Machines has cumulatively raised approximately US$279 million across six rounds, including a US$126 million Series C with US$106 million in equity led by funds and accounts managed by BlackRock alongside Nvidia, Microsoft, Eclipse, Jabil, and Shinhan Securities, plus US$20 million in venture debt from J.P. Morgan.
Leadership has evolved as the business scaled. Amar Hanspal stepped down as chief executive in December 2021, with Lior Susan appointed interim chief executive at the time. The chief executive role is currently held by Chris Stori, who leads the company's expansion into AI infrastructure hardware manufacturing.
Bright Machines Microfactories combine adaptive robotics, computer vision, machine learning, and a cloud-connected data backbone. The platform is designed to handle the variability and complexity of electronics assembly, including server, networking, and AI accelerator hardware, with software that updates production lines in days rather than the months traditional fixed automation requires.
The company sells to electronics OEMs, contract manufacturers, and hyperscale infrastructure buyers building the physical layer of the AI economy. Bright Machines competes with traditional automation integrators, robotics arm vendors, and newer software-defined manufacturing startups, with a moat rooted in its full-stack platform combining hardware, software, and data.