Reach Robotics, a UK-based battle robot producer that counts mobile semiconductor producer Qualcomm as an investor, is shutting down, according to a statement on LinkedIn by co-founder Silas Adekunle.
Founded in 2013, Reach had developed a battle robot called MekaMon that can be controlled by a user’s mobile device and used to fight augmented reality enemies or other robots.
Qualcomm Ventures’ corporate venturing unit, Qualcomm Ventures, took part in a $7.5m series A round for the company in mid-2017 that included mobile and PC game developer NCSoft and electronics and industrial products group Kin Yat Holdings.
Korea Investment Partners, Globe Partners, London Venture Partners, Passion Capital and Hardware Club also participated in the round, which followed Reach’s participation in Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator and an undisclosed amount of seed capital from London Venture Partners, Passion Capital, IGlobe and Hardware Club in 2016.
Adekunle said: “I am immensely proud of what we have achieved. Since founding Reach Robotics at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, we made huge strides in our technology both in terms of our hardware and app development.
“We took MekaMon from prototype to market, introduce the world to the first gaming robot with seamless AR integration, launched in dozens of territories and developed a unique education offering that will live on through many initiatives.”
