Business · September 24, 2026 · 2 min
O-ID raises $1.2 million for modular humanoids built in Japan
The Tokyo startup’s robots use hot-swappable joints, limbs and compute units so worn parts can be replaced on the factory floor in minutes.
Tokyo-based O-ID has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding for modular humanoid robots aimed at manufacturing and logistics, The Next Web reported. TAWANI Ventures of Chicago led the round, with Hustle Fund, Techstars and angel investors taking part.
The company’s design lets joints, limbs and compute units be swapped on site. Onboard sensors track wear and flag parts that are close to failing, so O-ID can send a replacement before a robot goes down. It has filed a provisional U.S. patent on its modular connector.
O-ID also signed a letter of intent with Sumitomo Electric Industries to discuss using Sumitomo’s wire harness technology in humanoid robots. The new money will take the first robot from prototype to production as the company prepares for placements on Japanese factory floors.
Norwegian CEO Stian Jakobsen and Dutch CTO Simon Gormuzov founded the company in Tokyo in 2025 after meeting at Waseda University. O-ID is starting with automotive manufacturing and logistics in Japan, builds its robots there, and says they are designed to meet U.S. National Defense Authorization Act requirements ahead of a planned move into the U.S.