"physical AI"
Consumer physical-AI startup from iRobot co-founder Colin Angle building screen-free home companion robots called Familiars.
Familiar Machines & Magic (FM&M) is a US-based consumer robotics and artificial intelligence startup founded in 2024 by iRobot alumni Colin Angle, Dr. Chris Jones and Ira Renfrew. Angle, co-founder and former CEO of iRobot and a pioneer behind the Roomba, leads the company, with Renfrew serving as Chief People and Product Officer and Jones as Chief Research and Development Officer. The company emerged from stealth at The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything conference on May 4, 2026, introducing a new platform for consumer physical AI. FM&M is building Familiars, physically embodied AI systems designed to perceive, adapt and interact with people in ways that feel natural and consistent.
Positioned as a new category of home robot, a Familiar is intended as a supportive household presence offering comfort, gentle coaching and companionship without a screen between the user and the device, with a focus on health, wellness and connection. The platform aims to blend personality, memory and motion so machines can relate to, remember and support their users over time, an approach the company describes as building toward Artificial Life. The team draws on robotics and AI experience from iRobot, Amazon, Disney Research, MIT, Boston Dynamics and USC, and the company maintains offices in Boston, Los Angeles and Hong Kong while partnering with researchers, engineers and strategic collaborators.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Screen-free embodied AI home companion that blends personality, memory and motion for comfort and coaching.
Contact Familiar Machines & Magic
WEBSITE
https://www.familiarmachines.com/HEADQUARTERS
United States
Company Facts
Founded
2024
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
North America
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
-
Funding Total
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Certifications & Memberships