Almond Robotics
Almond is a San Francisco robotics startup backed by Y Combinator, founded in 2025 by Saba Khalilnaji and Shawn Patel. It builds Axol, a dual-arm robot designed for teams developing physical AI systems that must work in factories, warehouses, kitchens and other unpredictable places. Before building its own hardware, the founders spent a year putting existing robots through real shifts in grocery stores and production lines and found that they hit limits that slowed progress. Axol has two seven-degree-of-freedom arms with 860 mm of reach and a peak payload of 6.5 kg per arm, joints with extended range and reduced singularities, and protected cabling. It ships with an open-source SDK with built-in data collection, and is sold as the Axol robot or as an Axol Kit with cameras and compute. Every robot is designed and assembled in Almond's workshop in San Francisco's Dogpatch neighbourhood.
💡Notable Achievement: Almond's Axol dual-arm robot has 860 mm of reach and is built in its Dogpatch workshop in San Francisco.
What Does Almond Robotics Do?
Almond is a Y Combinator startup in San Francisco building Axol, a dual-arm robot for teams developing physical AI that must work in real factories, warehouses and kitchens.
“A dual-arm robot built for physical AI developers.”
Two 7-DOF Arms
860 mm reach per arm with joints designed to reduce singularities.
Open SDK
Open-source software with integrated data collection.
Built in San Francisco
Assembled in Almond's Dogpatch workshop.
What Can Almond Robotics Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Dual-arm manipulation platform for physical AI.
Dual-Arm Manipulation
Two 7-DOF arms with 6.5 kg peak payload each.
Data Collection
SDK and kit with cameras and compute for training data.
Almond Robotics Robots
Showing 1 of 1 total model
AXOL
Manufactured by Almond Robotics
The AXOL is a dual-arm robot designed for Physical AI development, bridging artificial intelligence with real-world tasks. Featuring two independent 7-DOF arms with 860mm total reach and 6.5kg peak payload (2kg working per arm), it excels in complex manipulation. Equipped with FAKRA GMSL 2.0 wrist ports for high-performance cameras, open-source SDK, and VR teleoperation, AXOL supports bimanual IK and machine vision. Built from aluminum extrusion and steel tube, it’s assembled in San Francisco for startups and researchers. Ideal for factories, warehouses, and kitchens, AXOL enables robots to learn faster and perform increasingly complex tasks in unpredictable settings.
Almond Robotics Software & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
Axol SDK
Open-Source Control
Open-source SDK with integrated data collection for physical AI development.
Almond Robotics Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Almond founded in San Francisco
Saba Khalilnaji and Shawn Patel found Almond, a Y Combinator company that builds dual-arm robots for physical AI, according to its Y Combinator profile.
Source: ycombinator.com
Almond Robotics Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes Almond Robotics Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Y Combinator backing and a clear physical AI niche.
- ✓Open SDK aimed at developers building manipulation models.
Core Strategic Focus
Delivering Axol to physical AI teams.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •Founded in 2025 with about six employees.
- •Competes with established arm makers and other embodied AI hardware.
Almond Robotics vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Category / Focus
- Almond Axol
- Dual-arm physical AI robot
- Agile ONE
- Humanoid manipulation robot
- Flexiv MICO Plus
- Adaptive robot arm
- Dobot Atom
- Humanoid robot
Primary Use
- Almond Axol
- Assembly
- Agile ONE
- Factory floor material gathering
- Flexiv MICO Plus
- Manufacturing, research
- Dobot Atom
- Micro-component electronics
Weight
- Almond Axol
- 25kg
- Agile ONE
- 69 kg
- Flexiv MICO Plus
- 65 kg
- Dobot Atom
- 62 kg
Release Year
- Almond Axol
- 2026
- Agile ONE
- 2025
- Flexiv MICO Plus
- 2026
- Dobot Atom
- 2024
| Strategic Dimension | Almond Axol | Agile ONE | Flexiv MICO Plus | Dobot Atom |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category / Focus | Dual-arm physical AI robot | Humanoid manipulation robot | Adaptive robot arm | Humanoid robot |
| Primary Use | Assembly | Factory floor material gathering | Manufacturing, research | Micro-component electronics |
| Weight | 25kg | 69 kg | 65 kg | 62 kg |
| Release Year | 2026 | 2025 | 2026 | 2024 |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
Y Combinator
Almond is a Y Combinator company that presented Axol through Launch YC.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Almond is a Y Combinator company that presented Axol through Launch YC.
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
Almond Robotics Headquarters
HQSan Francisco, California, United States
Articles & Industry News
Showing 1 recent article and news updates about Almond Robotics
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Almond Robotics
What is Almond Robotics?
Almond is a San Francisco startup backed by Y Combinator that builds Axol, a dual-arm robot made for developers of physical AI systems working in real factories, warehouses and kitchens.
Who founded Almond?
Saba Khalilnaji and Shawn Patel founded Almond in 2025, according to its Y Combinator profile. The company is small, with about six employees, and is based in San Francisco.
What is the Axol robot?
Axol is Almond's dual-arm robot. It has two 7-DOF arms with 860 mm reach, is ready to use out of the box and comes with an open-source SDK for physical AI development.
What are the Axol's payload and reach?
Each Axol arm reaches 860 mm. Almond quotes a 6.5 kg peak payload per arm and, in its Y Combinator launch post, a 4 kg sustained payload, with joints designed to reduce singularities.
Does Axol come with cameras and compute?
Almond sells the standalone Axol robot and the Axol Kit, which adds cameras and compute. The SDK includes integrated data collection for training and testing physical AI models.
Where is Axol built?
Every Axol is designed and assembled in Almond's workshop in the Dogpatch neighbourhood of San Francisco, California, so the team can support customers directly.
Why did Almond build its own robot?
The founders spent a year running existing robots through real shifts in grocery stores and on production lines. They found those robots were built for demos, not real tasks, so they built Axol.
Is Almond Robotics based in Shenzhen?
No. Almond is based in San Francisco, California, and is a Y Combinator company. Older catalogue information listing Shenzhen has been corrected here.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Almond Robotics datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Data is monitored and audited on an ongoing basis for accuracy. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.