Alloy: Data Management for Robotics

The Challenge of Data Management in Robotics

Robotics firms frequently encounter a significant hurdle: the sheer volume of data generated by their machines. Even relatively uncomplicated robots are capable of producing up to a terabyte of data daily. This stems from the continuous collection of information via cameras and various sensors.

Alloy: A Solution for Robotics Data Infrastructure

Alloy, a startup headquartered in Sydney, Australia, aims to address this challenge. The company is developing dedicated data infrastructure designed to assist robotics companies in effectively processing and organizing the extensive data streams originating from their robotic systems.

Core Functionality: Encoding, Labeling, and Search

At its foundation, Alloy’s system encodes and labels collected data. It then empowers users to search through this data utilizing natural language processing, facilitating the identification of bugs and errors. Furthermore, users can establish automated rules to detect and highlight potential issues as they arise, mirroring the functionality of observability tools used in software development.

Diagnosing Robotic Issues with Data Replay

Joe Harris, Alloy’s founder and CEO, explained to TechCrunch the typical workflow: “The standard approach involves searching for anomalies and then replaying the relevant data.” He further elaborated that teams often spend considerable time scrutinizing flagged data, attempting to diagnose problems without a clear understanding of whether the issue is recurrent or a unique, isolated incident.

The Compounding Data Problem with Scaling Robotics

As robotics companies expand their operations and deploy more robots, the data management problem will inevitably intensify, according to Harris. The increasing scale of robotic deployments necessitates more robust and efficient data handling solutions.

From Tech Roles to Robotics Entrepreneurship

Harris’s passion for robotics dates back to his childhood. However, upon graduating from college in 2018, limited opportunities existed within the field. Consequently, he initially pursued various roles at Australian tech companies, including Atlassian and the telehealth startup Eucalyptus.

Identifying a Critical Need: Data Management

In 2024, Harris determined the opportune moment had arrived to launch his own robotics venture. He initially considered focusing on robots for the agricultural sector, specifically vertical farming. However, conversations with other founders consistently highlighted the pervasive challenge of managing robotic data. This led him to prioritize solving this problem first.

A Horizontal Solution for the Robotics Industry

“If I need to resolve this issue for my own robotics company, I can create a broadly applicable solution,” Harris stated. “It might prove more impactful in the short term to empower other robotics companies to reduce time spent on data infrastructure and concentrate on achieving high reliability.”

Early Traction and Expansion Plans

Since its launch in February 2025, Alloy has secured four Australian robotics companies as design partners. The company intends to expand its reach into the U.S. market later this year.

Addressing a Pain Point for Robotics Developers

Harris noted that prospective customers have expressed significant enthusiasm, particularly those who have already experienced the difficulties of building and maintaining their own data management systems. They prefer a specialized tool, akin to Databricks, but specifically tailored for the unique demands of robotics.

Securing Pre-Seed Funding

Alloy has successfully raised over AUD $4.5 million (approximately $3 million) in a pre-seed funding round. Blackbird Ventures led the investment, with participation from Airtree Ventures, Xtal Ventures, and Skip Capital, alongside angel investors from within the robotics sector.

A Relatively Uncrowded Market

Currently, Alloy faces limited direct competition. Many robotics companies are either adapting existing data management tools – which are not optimized for the multimodal data generated by robots – or are developing their own internal solutions.

Positioning for Growth in the Expanding Robotics Market

With the increasing prevalence of commercial robotics applications, Alloy anticipates capturing a substantial share of the expanding market. The company is well-positioned to benefit from the growth of the robotics industry.

Empowering the Next Generation of Robotics Companies

“There has never been a more favorable time to establish a robotics company,” Harris concluded. “My goal is to facilitate the creation of the next 10,000, or even 100,000, robotics companies, ensuring they don’t have to repeatedly solve the same fundamental challenges.”