Pollen Robotics
Pollen Robotics is a Bordeaux, France company founded in 2016 by Matthieu Lapeyre, its chief executive, and Pierre Rouanet, both former roboticists at the French research institute Inria. It makes Reachy 2, a fully open-source humanoid robot built for embodied AI research and real-world applications, with an expressive head, two arms with grippers and a mobile base option, programmable in Python. Before its acquisition Pollen had raised about €2.5 million from investors including Bpifrance. On 14 April 2025 the AI company Hugging Face acquired Pollen Robotics for an undisclosed sum, and said it would commercially offer Reachy 2 while opening its hardware and software so developers can improve them. The two companies had already worked together on LeRobot, Hugging Face's open-source robotics project. Together they also launched Reachy Mini, a compact desktop robot for creative coding and AI experiments that starts at US$299 and is programmable in Python, JavaScript and Scratch.
💡Notable Achievement: Hugging Face acquired Pollen Robotics on 14 April 2025 and plans to offer the open-source Reachy 2 commercially; Reachy Mini starts at US$299.
What Does Pollen Robotics Do?
Pollen Robotics is a Bordeaux company founded in 2016 by two Inria roboticists that makes the open-source Reachy 2 humanoid, and part of Hugging Face since 2025.
“Open-source humanoids for the AI community.”
Reachy 2
Open humanoid with an expressive head, arms and grippers.
Hugging Face
Acquired in April 2025 to expand open robotics.
Reachy Mini
A US$299 desktop robot.
What Can Pollen Robotics Robots Actually Do?
Cross-portfolio operational capabilities, manipulation tasks, and environmental competencies
Open robots for embodied AI research.
Embodied AI Research
Reachy 2 is built for AI and robotics research.
Python Programming
Programmable in Python and other languages.
Pollen Robotics Robots
Showing 1 Humanoid Robots of 3 total models
Reachy 2
Manufactured by Pollen Robotics
Reachy 2 is an advanced open-source humanoid robot designed for research, education, and AI development. It features dual 7-DoF bio-inspired arms with human-like proportions, enabling precise manipulation and lifting up to 3 kg per arm. Equipped with multiple RGB-D cameras and a Time-of-Flight sensor, it provides stereo vision and depth perception. Reachy 2 supports immersive teleoperation with spatialized audio. Its modular architecture allows alternative grippers and mobile bases, making it adaptable for human-robot interaction, telepresence, and embodied AI research. The robot runs on ROS 2 with Python APIs, supports OTA updates, and enables flexible programming.
Pollen Robotics Software & AI Ecosystem
Developer platforms, fleet management portals, autonomy intelligence, and enterprise integrations
LeRobot
Hugging Face Robotics
Open-source robotics project from Hugging Face.
Pollen Robotics Timeline & Milestones
Evolutionary history, landmark prototypes, major acquisitions, and commercial roadmap
Pollen Robotics founded in Bordeaux
Matthieu Lapeyre and Pierre Rouanet, former Inria roboticists, found Pollen Robotics in Bordeaux, France.
Source: techcrunch.com
Reachy Mini desktop robot launched
Pollen and Hugging Face launch Reachy Mini, a compact open desktop robot starting at US$299.
Source: thomasnet.com
Acquired by Hugging Face
Hugging Face acquires Pollen Robotics and plans to offer the open-source Reachy 2 humanoid commercially.
Source: techcrunch.com
Pollen Robotics Competitors by Category
Direct industry rivals grouped by specific robotics domain
PAL Robotics
→Model: TIAGo
Focus: Mobile manipulation research robots for European academia
Enactic (formerly Hello Robot)
Industry PeerModel: Stretch 3
Focus: Affordable single-arm mobile manipulators for home research
Kudan / Toyota
Industry PeerModel: HSR (Human Support Robot)
Focus: Assistive service robotics in healthcare and academic challenges
What Makes Pollen Robotics Different?
Editorial AnalysisOrigin of Bots objective strategic assessment, engineering moats, and commercial hurdles
Key Strengths & Moats
- ✓Open-source hardware and software.
- ✓Backing of Hugging Face.
Core Strategic Focus
Commercial offering of Reachy 2.
Road Ahead & Challenges
- •Small team.
- •Prices not published for Reachy 2.
Pollen Robotics vs Key Competitors
Strategic capability matrix across platform categories, commercial readiness, and target markets
Form Factor
- Reachy 2 (Pollen)
- Dual-Arm Humanoid Torso
- Stretch 3 (Hello Robot)
- Single-Arm Telescoping AMR
- TIAGo (PAL Robotics)
- Single/Dual Arm Wheeled AMR
- Unitree G1 (Upper Body)
- Bipedal Humanoid
Arms & Degrees of Freedom
- Reachy 2 (Pollen)
- Dual 7-DoF Arms
- Stretch 3 (Hello Robot)
- Single 4-DoF Arm
- TIAGo (PAL Robotics)
- Dual 7-DoF Arms
- Unitree G1 (Upper Body)
- Dual 7-DoF Arms
Software Stack
- Reachy 2 (Pollen)
- Hugging Face LeRobot & ROS 2
- Stretch 3 (Hello Robot)
- ROS 2 & Python API
- TIAGo (PAL Robotics)
- ROS 2 & Web UI
- Unitree G1 (Upper Body)
- Unitree SDK & C++
| Strategic Dimension | Reachy 2 (Pollen) | Stretch 3 (Hello Robot) | TIAGo (PAL Robotics) | Unitree G1 (Upper Body) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Form Factor | Dual-Arm Humanoid Torso | Single-Arm Telescoping AMR | Single/Dual Arm Wheeled AMR | Bipedal Humanoid |
| Arms & Degrees of Freedom | Dual 7-DoF Arms | Single 4-DoF Arm | Dual 7-DoF Arms | Dual 7-DoF Arms |
| Software Stack | Hugging Face LeRobot & ROS 2 | ROS 2 & Python API | ROS 2 & Web UI | Unitree SDK & C++ |
Corporate Ecosystem & Ownership Structure
Parent company relationships, historical acquisitions, and global operating facilities
Hugging Face
Acquired Pollen Robotics on 14 April 2025.
Ownership & Acquisition History
Acquired Pollen Robotics on 14 April 2025.
Global Facilities & Operating Hubs
Pollen Robotics Headquarters
HQBordeaux, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Articles & Industry News
Showing 2 recent articles and news updates about Pollen Robotics
Pollen Robotics Ships 3,000 Reachy Minis with Hugging Face, Seeed
News about Reachy Mini
Hugging Face Acquires Pollen Robotics, Turbocharges Reachy 2
News about Reachy 2
Frequently Asked Questions
8 AnswersVerified answers, company specifications, and deployment details about Pollen Robotics
What is Pollen Robotics?
Pollen Robotics is a Bordeaux, France company, founded in 2016, that makes open-source robots including the Reachy 2 humanoid, and has been part of Hugging Face since April 2025.
Who founded Pollen Robotics?
Pollen Robotics was founded in 2016 by Matthieu Lapeyre, its chief executive, and Pierre Rouanet, both former roboticists at the French research institute Inria.
Did Hugging Face acquire Pollen Robotics?
Yes. Hugging Face acquired Pollen Robotics on 14 April 2025 for an undisclosed amount, and plans to sell Reachy 2 commercially while keeping its hardware and software open.
What is Reachy 2?
Reachy 2 is Pollen's fully open-source humanoid robot for embodied AI research and applications, with an expressive head, arms and grippers, programmable in Python.
What is Reachy Mini?
Reachy Mini is a compact, expressive desktop robot launched by Pollen and Hugging Face for creative coding and AI experiments, starting at US$299 and programmable in Python, JavaScript and Scratch.
How much did Pollen Robotics raise?
Before being acquired by Hugging Face, Pollen Robotics raised about €2.5 million, or roughly US$2.8 million, from investors that included the French public bank Bpifrance.
Is Reachy 2 open source?
Yes. Pollen released Reachy 2 as an open-source humanoid, and Hugging Face has said it will open both the hardware and the software so developers can modify and improve them.
What is LeRobot?
LeRobot is Hugging Face's open-source robotics project for sharing models, datasets and tools, and Pollen Robotics collaborated with Hugging Face on it before the acquisition.
Verified Data & Editorial Assurance
Compiled from verified corporate filings, official Pollen Robotics datasheets, and robotics engineering registries. Information has been verified against official manufacturer documentation. For commercial procurement or proprietary integrations, contact the manufacturer directly.