Intel Spins Out RealSense, Raises $50M

Intel has successfully completed the spin out of its RealSense 3D camera business after securing a $50 million funding round. This move was initially announced by Intel in January as part of a broader restructuring effort, which includes significant layoffs of up to 10,000 employees this week.

While Intel has not disclosed the specific investors behind the funding, it has been revealed that the deal received support from Intel Capital and MediaTek Innovation Fund. This financial backing will enable RealSense to grow its team by onboarding additional AI, software, and robotics engineers, potentially those affected by the recent Intel layoffs, to expedite product development and ramp up manufacturing capabilities.

The ownership of RealSense has likely transitioned to Walden International, a prominent semiconductor private equity firm chaired by Lip-Bu Tan, the new CEO at Intel. This change in ownership structure is expected to provide RealSense with the autonomy needed to innovate swiftly and boldly in response to the rapidly evolving market landscape, particularly in the realms of AI and robotics.

“Our newfound independence empowers us to operate with greater agility and drive innovation more decisively to meet the demands of a dynamic market environment as we spearhead advancements in AI and the forthcoming robotics revolution,” remarked Nadav Orbach, the CEO of RealSense.

Collaborating with ST, Intel has been actively involved in the development of RealSense cameras, which are widely utilized in various sectors such as robotics, industrial automation, security, and healthcare. RealSense boasts partnerships with over 3000 companies, including key players like ANYbotics, Eyesynth, Fit:Match, and Unitree Robotics.

RealSense has affirmed its commitment to continue supporting its existing customer base and product roadmap, which encompasses the RealSense depth cameras. These cameras are integrated into 60% of the world’s autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and humanoid robots. The recently introduced D555 depth camera, featuring the fifth generation processing chip, is specifically designed for embedded vision technology and edge AI applications.

“Our primary objective is to facilitate the seamless integration of robotics and AI into everyday life in a safe manner,” Orbach emphasized. “This technology is not intended to replace human ingenuity or decision-making but rather to eliminate risks and monotonous tasks from human labor. Our systems are engineered to enhance human potential by delegating such tasks to machines equipped with intelligent, secure, and dependable vision systems.”