Bright Machines raises $179 million for factory automation with robots

Bright Machines today announced the closure of a $179 million funding round and launched out of stealth. The company aims to automate manufacturing operations in factories and make manufacturing hardware as simple as building software is today. Bright Machines was founded six months ago in part by former Autodesk interim CEO Amar Hanspal, while former lon Autodesk CEO Carl Bass sits on the company board of directors. Autodesk alum are joined by former Autodesk and Flex employees. Bright Machines operates on the belief that low-cost manufacturing in developing nations has reached its limits as more economies enter the middle class and factories encounter challenges hiring employees at the lower pay rates that have been common in the past.