Exclaim Robotics

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Overview

Exclaim Robotics is a Zürich-based physical-AI startup developing autonomous mobile robots for routine repair and maintenance inside AI data centers. Its initial focus is on dexterous, precision tasks such as optics and SFP replacement, copper-cable reconnection, and drive replacement on live server racks, including newer 800V environments.

The company occupies an emerging niche between robotics, data-center infrastructure, and industrial automation. Its stated approach is to let robots navigate existing data halls and work across rack faces without facility modifications, with a longer-term aim of servicing hazardous, remote, or difficult-to-reach infrastructure beyond data centers.

History

Exclaim Robotics was founded in 2026 by Helen Oleynikova, a robotics researcher and engineer with experience at Willow Garage, Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and ETH Zürich. The company emerged from stealth in August 2026 with a $4.95 million pre-seed financing round co-led by Founderful and Playfair, alongside several other investors. It planned to use the funding to build initial prototypes, acquire robotics hardware, and expand its engineering team. Founding robotics engineer Patrick Pfreundschuh is also associated with the company.

Product Lines

Product Line	Positioning	Price Range
Data-center maintenance robots — autonomous rack-service platform	Autonomous physical maintenance for AI data centers	Unknown
Optics and SFP servicing — connector cleaning and replacement	Precision manipulation for fiber-optic components	Unknown
Cabling servicing — copper cable reconnection and handling	Automated management of dense rack cabling	Unknown
Drive servicing — drive removal and re-seating	Reliable component replacement on server racks	Unknown

Manufacturing

The company is still developing its first prototypes, so established production arrangements have not been publicly detailed. Available information indicates that Exclaim is acquiring robotics hardware and integrating its own autonomy and manipulation capabilities rather than operating a mature mass-manufacturing network.

Notable Products

AI Data-Center Maintenance Robot - Autonomous mobile robot platform under development for navigating AI data-center floors and servicing rack fronts without building modifications.
Optics and SFP Service - Robot capability for cleaning and replacing fiber-optic connectors and SFP transceivers on live server racks.
Cabling Service - Robot capability for reconnecting and managing copper network cabling in dense rack environments.
Drive Replacement Service - Robot capability for precisely removing and re-seating failed drives in server racks.

Reputation

Exclaim Robotics is presented by investors and industry coverage as an early-stage deep-tech company addressing a growing safety and labor problem in AI data-center operations. Its credibility is linked mainly to founder Helen Oleynikova’s robotics background and the team’s ETH Zürich, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Google, and related experience. The company remains pre-commercial: prototypes and engineering development were still underway, and there is limited public evidence yet about deployed systems, reliability, pricing, or customer adoption.

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