Reach Robotics, which is based at the University of the West of England in Bristol, has secured £5.8 million of funding to continue working on a project that combines consumer robotics with augmented reality (AR).

The company was founded in 2013 by Silas Adekunle, Chris Beck and John Rees to create the ‘next-generation robotics platform’. Since then, it has created a small crab-like robot (the MekaMon) that can be controlled via a smartphone.

Silas Adekunle, Reach Robotics’ CEO, said: “To date, we’ve followed our vision for MekaMon with a small team; this financing round will help us move to the next exciting chapter and execute our go-to-market strategy, strengthening our team and capitalising on some of the amazing partnerships that are developing around the globe.

“We are now looking for the very best talent across lots of disciplines to join our team and help us achieve our vision.”

The investment came from Singapore-based venture capital company iGlobe Partners. Founder Soo Boon Koh said: “Reach Robotics is an exciting investment for iGlobe. MekaMon is a sensational product at the crossroads of the AR, robotics and gaming sectors — a burgeoning market fuelled by strong demand for immersive play from a new class of consumers.”

Reach Robotics is planning to begin shipment of its MekaMon robots soon. Further information on MekaMon can be found at the company’s Web site (www.reachrobotics.com).