Stories
Linkerbot's Alex Zhou Aims for Robotic Hand Dominance with AI and Manufacturing Prowess
- •Linkerbot, co-founded by Alex Zhou, specializes in five-fingered dexterous robotic hands crucial for humanoids and industrial robots, aiming to replicate the versatility of human hands.
- •The company combines AI with China's manufacturing capabilities to develop a vast database of skills for its robotic hands and drive down production costs, giving it a competitive edge.
- •Linkerbot's robotic hands are already used in Chinese factories and are being developed for complex tasks like cooking and cleaning, transforming humanoids into indispensable home helpers.
- •Despite challenges in replicating human hand sophistication, Linkerbot has secured significant investment, with a recent Series B+ round valuing the startup at $3 billion, and plans for further expansion.
- •Linkerbot's in-house component manufacturing allows for lower costs and faster iteration compared to competitors, with models priced between $980 and $14,700, making them among the most affordable and capable on the market.
Key Questions Answered
Co-founded in 2023 by Alex Zhou, Linkerbot manufactures five-fingered dexterous robotic hands with a portfolio of six models priced between 6,666 yuan and 99,999 yuan (approximately $980 to $14,700). Their cheapest model is the 06, while the high-end L30 model and the bestselling L20 model handle high-precision and complex tasks.
Linkerbot keeps production costs low by manufacturing nearly all of its components in-house, giving the company better control over its supply chain. Furthermore, by expanding production across its four factories in China, including a new facility in Beijing that opened in August, the firm aims to leverage economies of scale to drastically lower hardware costs.
Linkerbot utilizes a proprietary database of skills known as LinkerSkillNet, which contains over 500 precision movements like chopping vegetables and threading a needle. The company also develops an AI model called Linker Genesis to enable user control via verbal commands, helping position Linkerbot as both a dexterous hand maker and an AI developer.
