Jibo Inc
Jibo Inc was a Boston social robotics company founded in 2012 by MIT roboticist Cynthia Breazeal, with former Nuance Communications president Steve Chambers as CEO. Its robot Jibo was billed as the first social robot for the home, a tabletop device that turned to face people and spoke and moved expressively. A 2014 Indiegogo campaign raised more than US$3.5 million, and after delays Jibo began shipping to backers in September 2017 and went on public sale at US$899 that October. Cheaper smart speakers from Amazon and Google, delayed shipments and overseas cancellations hurt the company, which shut down in November 2018. Its servers went offline in March 2019, when Jibo delivered a farewell message and one last dance. NTT Disruption acquired three Jibo patents in March 2020, and that business was closed in 2023.
💡Notable Achievement: Jibo shipped from September 2017 at US$899 and the company shut down in November 2018.
What Does Jibo Inc Do?
Jibo was a Boston social robot company founded by MIT's Cynthia Breazeal; its expressive home robot shipped in 2017 but the company closed in 2018.
“The pioneering social home robot that did not survive.”
Social Robot
Billed as the first social robot for the home.
Crowdfunded
Indiegogo in 2014.
Shut Down
Company closed in November 2018.
What Can Jibo Inc Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Expressive home social robot.
Social Interaction
Jibo interacted expressively with family members.
Jibo Inc Robots
Showing 1 of 1 total model
Jibo
Manufactured by Jibo Inc
Jibo is a social companion robot designed for home environments, created to interact meaningfully with family members through advanced natural language understanding, speech recognition, and facial recognition capabilities. The robot performs household assistance tasks including reading to children, providing recipes in the kitchen, taking family photos, and engaging in interactive conversations. Jibo builds personalized profiles of household members and recognizes them on sight, adapting its interactions based on individual preferences. The robot uses a distinctive three-axis motor system enabling 360-degree head movement to convey emotions and lifelike responses through its display screen, which shows expressions, blinks, and winks to enhance human-robot interaction.
Jibo Inc Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Jibo founded in Boston
MIT roboticist Cynthia Breazeal founds Jibo to build a social robot for the home.
Source: therobotreport.com
Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign
Jibo runs an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that raises more than US$3.5 million.
Source: therobotreport.com
First Jibo units ship
Jibo begins shipping to its 2014 Indiegogo backers, and opens public sales at US$899 the following month.
Source: therobotreport.com
Jibo shuts down
Jibo ceases operations after delayed shipments and competition from cheaper smart speakers.
Source: therobotreport.com
NTT Disruption acquires Jibo patents
NTT Disruption acquires three Jibo patents, intending to use them for custom products rather than resume consumer manufacturing.
Source: therobotreport.com
Jibo Inc Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
What Makes Jibo Inc Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Influential design and a devoted early community.
Core Strategic Focus
None; the company closed in 2018.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •Cheaper smart speakers undercut its value.
- •Shipping delays and overseas cancellations.
Jibo Inc vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Category / Focus
- Jibo
- Social home robot
- Embodied Moxie
- Children's social robot
- Vector
- Home companion robot
- Groove X Lovot
- Emotional companion robot
Primary Use
- Jibo
- Social companionship
- Embodied Moxie
- Social-emotional skill development
- Vector
- Home companionship, desktop entertainment
- Groove X Lovot
- Home companionship
Weight
- Jibo
- 2.7 kg (approx. 6 lbs)
- Embodied Moxie
- 3.2 kg (7 lbs)
- Vector
- 0.16 kg (160 grams)
- Groove X Lovot
- Approximately 4.3 kg (9.4 lbs)
Release Year
- Jibo
- 2017
- Embodied Moxie
- 2020
- Vector
- 2018
- Groove X Lovot
- 2018
| Strategic Dimension | Jibo | Embodied Moxie | Vector | Groove X Lovot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category / Focus | Social home robot | Children's social robot | Home companion robot | Emotional companion robot |
| Primary Use | Social companionship | Social-emotional skill development | Home companionship, desktop entertainment | Home companionship |
| Weight | 2.7 kg (approx. 6 lbs) | 3.2 kg (7 lbs) | 0.16 kg (160 grams) | Approximately 4.3 kg (9.4 lbs) |
| Release Year | 2017 | 2020 | 2018 | 2018 |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
NTT Disruption
Acquired Jibo's assets in 2020.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Acquired Jibo's assets in 2020.
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
Jibo Inc Headquarters
HQBoston, United States
Articles & Industry News
Showing 1 recent article and news updates about Jibo Inc
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Jibo Inc
What was Jibo?
Jibo was a social robot for the home, developed by a Boston company founded in 2012 by MIT roboticist Cynthia Breazeal, designed to interact with family members expressively.
How much did Jibo cost?
Jibo went on public sale in autumn 2017 at US$899, after first shipping to Indiegogo backers in September 2017. It had first shipped to Indiegogo backers in September 2017, about three years after the 2014 campaign.
How much did the Jibo Indiegogo raise?
Jibo's Indiegogo campaign in 2014 raised more than US$3.5 million, according to press coverage, years before the robot finally shipped.
Why did Jibo fail?
Analysts pointed to shipment delays, overseas cancellations and competition from cheaper smart speakers by Amazon and Google. The company ran out of money and shut down in November 2018.
What happened when Jibo's servers shut down?
In March 2019 Jibo's servers were switched off. The robots delivered a farewell message and did one last dance before losing their cloud features.
Who acquired Jibo's assets?
NTT Disruption acquired three Jibo patents in March 2020, mainly to make custom products for its own business, not to restart consumer sales.
Is Jibo coming back?
Not as a consumer product. NTT Disruption planned to use Jibo technology for businesses, and a 2024 report said NTT Disruption itself closed in 2023, ending Jibo's revival.
Who ran Jibo?
Cynthia Breazeal founded Jibo and Steve Chambers, a former president of Nuance Communications, served as CEO during its crowdfunding and launch.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Jibo Inc datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Information has been verified against official manufacturer documentation. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.