Robotic pet company Tombot secures $6.1M Series A funding

Tombot, a Los Angeles-based robotics pet company, announced it has secured $6.1 million in Series A funding.  

The funding round was led by Caduceus Capital Partners, a Nashville-based team of healthcare investors with a primary emphasis on accelerating the growth of early-stage digital health startups.

Tombot robotic puppy Jennie made waves at CES 2025

At CES 2025, the company showcased Jennie, its lifelike robotic puppy.

“Tombot is entering a high-demand, underserved market at the intersection of mental health and assistive technology,” said Tom Stevens, co-founder and CEO of Tombot. “Over 300 million seniors around the world with dementia and mild cognitive impairment are unable to care for a live animal at a time when they need the companionship of a pet more than ever. Millions of other individuals suffering from mental health adversities are in a similar predicament.” 

With artistic design by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and developed with the guidance of clinical experts, patients and their families, Tombot said Jennie provides many of the health benefits associated with live animal ownership, such as reduced stress and loneliness.

Jennie will be used in private homes, assisted living and memory care communities, and other settings where live animals are not always safe or practical. Covered with sensors to respond to touch, voice commands, movement and other sensory inputs, Jennie is rechargeable, fully cleanable and comes with an optional caregiver app to customize behaviors and ease the burden of caregiving.

“We identified the growing need for robotic companions several years ago and believe the market is now on the brink of exponential expansion,” said Dave Vreeland, senior managing partner, Caduceus Capital Partners. “By 2030, the U.S. is projected to have 73 million seniors - an aging population that will increasingly face challenges related to loneliness, companionship, and chronic disease management. These issues are rapidly surpassing the capacity of human caregivers alone. Tombot is uniquely positioned to lead this emerging sector and drive widespread adoption of robotic companions."

Stevens said the investment will be used to expand Tombot’s team, finalize engineering, complete regulatory and safety certifications, and prepare its first robotic pet for customer shipments to its more than 16,000 pre-order and waitlist customers.