Deeptech startup Origin has successfully raised $20 million in a funding round led by Accel and Zacua Ventures, as reported by Business Standard. The round also included participation from Unilazer Ventures, Schema Ventures, Z21, ISAI and Imad Ventures, along with some of the startup's customers. Notably, Accel's India fund is the only Indian entity on the startup's cap table. The funding comes as the company emerges from stealth mode with ambitious expansion plans. The funding will primarily go towards deploying OG-1, Origin's flagship robot, and building out its fleet to support large-scale pilots with customers in the US and Europe.
Indian entrepreneur and film producer Ronnie Screwvala has invested in Origin through Unilazer Ventures, joining the $20 million funding round alongside Accel and Zacua Ventures. In a LinkedIn post, Screwvala explained how the company's technology could help solve common delays in home renovation, where painting jobs often take much longer than expected. "Anyone in India who has got their house or office painted knows the drill," he wrote, describing how jobs meant to take four or five days can stretch to 15 days, with plumbing and electrical work sometimes forcing walls to be redone. Screwvala believes Origin's robots can help make construction work faster and reduce delays, calling it "deep-tech hardware, engineered in India, solving a problem for builders around the world."
According to Business Standard reports, Origin targets large housing contractors in the US and Europe including D.R. Horton and Lennar Corp. The startup's value proposition centers on margin expansion amid high labor costs and worker shortages. Yogesh Ghaturle, co-founder and CEO, explained that replacing a crew of five skilled contractors with Origin's robots saves customers 20% of costs from day one, with current monthly subscription fees ranging from $25,000 to $40,000. The funding will support pilots with two of the largest drywall-finishing contractors in the US, with additional pilots scheduled in Germany, Sweden, France and Saudi Arabia.
As reported by Business Standard, Origin's flagship robot, the OG-1, is currently capable of wall-finishing operations including sanding, primer paint application, and final painting. The robot applies compound, sands and primes walls to a professional finish autonomously without human intervention. OG-1 moves on a three-wheeled platform with a 360-degree view of its surroundings and can work at heights of up to 14 feet. It handles contact-rich tasks such as sanding using real-time force control to maintain consistent pressure against the wall. The robot is designed to work safely alongside construction crews without requiring a separate cordoned-off work area, currently deployed across commercial spaces, multifamily apartments, data centres, hotels and warehouses. Origin plans to expand its use to plumbing and electrical work, aiming to build robots that can perform multiple construction jobs.
According to Business Standard reports, Origin plans to deploy 150 autonomous robots by the end of 2027, significantly expanding from current operations. The startup operates on a subscription-based robots-as-a-service model, with current contract values averaging $2-2.5 million and projected to reach $5-10 million as more contracts are signed. Origin's platform is ready for manufacturing at scale and plans to support additional interior trades such as taping, drywall installation, drilling and conduit installation using the same hardware platform and Construction Action Model. The company's robots are modular three-wheeled platforms measuring 600-700mm wide and capable of working at heights up to 14 feet.
