Intuition Robotics Ltd., the pioneer of a novel, artificial intelligence-based care companion designed to help combat loneliness and promote healthy and independent living, has raised $25 million in a new round of funding.

Announced today, the funding comprises $20 million in venture capital investments and $5 million in venture debt. The round was led by Toyota Motor Corp.’s growth fund Woven Capital, and saw participation from Toyota Ventures, OurCrowd, Western Technology Investment and others.

The startup explains that it’s trying to combat loneliness with AI innovation. It explains that being lonely can cause serious harm to people’s health, citing the U.S. Surgeon General, who recently advised that its negative effects are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day.

Given the dangers of loneliness, especially in old people, the U.S. healthcare system is desperately seeking solutions, and this is where Intuition Robotics thinks it can help. ElliQ is an AI companion that engages with users over time, and has shown it can positively impact the lives of older people with proactive suggestions and its conversational capabilities. In addition to providing basic companionship, it supports older people through daily health check-ins, plus cognitive and physical activities, connecting them to family and friends through a simpler user interface.

Intuition Robotics has been around since 2017, but it has recently been given a strong boost by the emergence of generative AI technologies such as ChatGPT. It said ElliQ is now able to integrate large language models and generative AI to engage users with richer,  continuous conversations. It even uses generative AI to spark the creativity of users, for example by inspiring them to paint pictures, make origami and engage in other activities.

Today’s round follows a successful commercial launch in partnership with multiple U.S. government agencies. The company has kicked off a number of programs that have seen ElliQ distributed to users at no cost.

Its partners include organizations such as the New York State Office for the Aging, the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County, the Olympic Area Agency on Aging and California’s Agency on Aging in Area 4. It has also signed an agreement with an unnamed Managed Care organization that focuses on Medicare beneficiaries.

The rollout has been a success, with ElliQ averaging more than 30 interactions each day and reducing feelings of loneliness for 95% of its users.

Intuition Robotics co-founder and Chief Executive Dor Skuler said that besides reducing loneliness, ElliQ is also having a positive impact on users’ wellness and health, and is changing their behaviors for the better. “The latest advancements in AI have advanced ElliQ’s conversational capabilities to become even more contextual, personalized and goal driven,” he said.

Intuition Robotics will use the funds from today’s round to meet the rising demand for its AI companion device across government aging agencies and healthcare organizations. In addition, it will work to integrate its product within the U.S. healthcare system with the goal of helping older people connect with others who are in similar situations.

Skuler added that with the new funding, the company will deploy more ElliQ devices out into the world, further increase its accessibility, expand partnerships and gain a deeper understanding of the role ElliQ can play in the healthcare ecosystem.

Photo: Intuition Robotics