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Proception Raises $11M in Seed Funding, Introduces Dexterous Robotic Hand
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Proception, a Silicon Valley startup, has raised $11 million in seed funding and launched ProHand 1.0, a 22-degree-of-freedom robotic hand designed to give humanoids and other robots more human-like object handling capabilities. The round was led by First Round Capital, with participation from Y Combinator and BoxGroup. The company plans to use the funding to expand its team, scale production, and advance its dexterous-manipulation hardware and data systems.
Founded by Jay Li, who previously served as the technical lead for Tesla's Optimus robot, Proception aims to address a critical gap in robotics: manipulation. While advances in movement, navigation, and vision have progressed rapidly, many robots still rely on basic grippers that struggle with tasks requiring fine adjustments, pressure control, or frequent object contact. The ProHand 1.0 is a tendon-driven hand that mimics human anatomy, featuring multiple joints per finger and skin-like sensors for contact detection.
The company also introduced ProGlove, a wearable system that collects human hand-interaction data for training robots. The glove uses the same sensor skin as the ProHand, allowing researchers to capture how people touch, hold, and adjust objects during real tasks. This data can be paired with a headset for visual context, providing a more efficient alternative to teleoperation-based training.
Proception's founder, Jay Li, was previously sued by Tesla for allegedly taking trade secrets to start the company. The lawsuit was settled earlier this year, with details undisclosed. Despite the legal background, the startup has garnered strong investor confidence and shipped its first batch of ProHand units to researchers and robotics companies this week.
Experts emphasize that dexterous manipulation is key to making humanoid robots useful in real-world applications. Proception's design, developed with input from hand surgeons, aims to unlock this capability by combining mechanical precision with tactile sensing. The company believes that bridging the gap between robotic and human hand function is essential for tasks ranging from manufacturing to healthcare.
Looking ahead, Proception plans to continue iterating on its hardware and data collection systems, with a focus on scaling production and expanding its team. The funding will also support further development of its manipulation platform, positioning the startup as a key player in the growing field of dexterous robotics. As humanoid robots move from labs to everyday environments, Proception's innovations could accelerate their adoption.
