SYNCERE Raises $11M Pre-Seed Led by a16z Speedrun

SYNCERE raised $11M in pre-seed funding led by a16z Speedrun to accelerate LUME deliveries, scale manufacturing and expand its physical AI capabilities.

RobotToday Reporter Nov 04, 2026 2 Mins read

SYNCERE Raises $11M Pre-Seed Led by a16z Speedrun for LUME Home Robot

SYNCERE, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based startup behind the LUME robotic floor lamp, announced on Nov. 3 that it has raised $11 million in pre-seed funding led by a16z Speedrun, with participation from Draper Associates, Physical World, Sequel, SeaX Ventures and other investors.

Founded by roboticists Dr. Aaron Tan and Dr. Angus Fung, SYNCERE said it will use the funding to accelerate LUME deliveries, scale manufacturing capacity and expand its physical AI capabilities into new commercial applications.

LUME is designed to serve as both a floor lamp and a household robot. According to the company, customers can use it as a lamp from day one and gain new capabilities through software updates, with folding laundry, tidying and making the bed among the chores it lists. LUME starts at $2,699 and was named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2026. SYNCERE reports "millions of dollars" in pre-order demand.

“Home robotics has a deployment problem disguised as a data problem,” said Dr. Aaron Tan, co-founder and CEO of SYNCERE. “Robots need real-world data to become reliable, but they can't get into people's homes until they're reliable. We built LUME to break that cycle.”

“What stood out to us about SYNCERE is that the company has designed distribution and learning together,” said Andrew Chen, General Partner at a16z Speedrun.

Source: SYNCERE Press Release

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