Insider Brief
- Tombot raised $7 million in a Series A3 financing round to scale manufacturing, operations and commercialization ahead of the planned fall 2026 launch of Jennie, its robotic Labrador puppy companion, with more than 23,000 pre-orders and waitlist reservations already secured.
- The round included investments from Caduceus Capital Partners, Wavemaker 360, the Lutheran Foundation for Long Term Living and Florida Community Health Network, according to the company.
- Jennie is designed to mimic the movements and responses of an 8- to 10-week-old Labrador puppy to provide companionship for older adults and others coping with conditions such as anxiety, loneliness, autism and PTSD who are unable to care for a live pet.
California startup Tombot has announced raising $7 million to help bring its robotic companion puppy to customers later this year. According to the company, the round included investments from Caduceus Capital Partners, Wavemaker 360, the Lutheran Foundation for Long Term Living and Florida Community Health Network.
The Santa Clarita, Calif.-based company said the Series A3 financing will go into manufacturing, operations and commercialization ahead of a planned fall 2026 launch of Jennie, its lifelike robotic Labrador puppy. Tombot said it has more than 23,000 pre-order and waitlist customers for the product, first introduced in 2024.
Jennie is designed to look and respond like an 8- to 10-week-old Labrador puppy. The company said the robot is fully autonomous and can mimic movements and responses associated with a young dog to provide seniors or anyone dealing with anxiety, loneliness, autism and PTSD, the emotional benefits from animal companionship without all the responsibilities of caring for a live pet. Seniors with dementia or mild cognitive impairment would also benefit, the company said.
“This financing represents an important milestone as we transition from product development to commercial scale,” founder and CEO Tom Stevens said in the announcement. “We are fortunate to have investors who recognize both the significant market opportunity and the positive social impact of companion robotics. Their support will enable us to meet growing customer demand, execute a successful market launch, and continue building a broader portfolio of products that set the bar for emotional support through technology.”
The investor group reflects the company’s healthcare and aging-services focus. Tombot said the financing brings together investors with experience in healthcare delivery, senior living, long-term care and technology commercialization.
“Within minutes of our conversation with Tom and seeing his robotic companion come to life, the potential impact of this technology for older adults and individuals facing cognitive challenges became immediately apparent,” noted Dr. Mark Gusek, President and CEO of the Lutheran Foundation.
Image credit: Tombot
