Startup Studio Vantora, Formerly UP.Labs, Raises $100 Million to Build "Physical AI" Ventures

UP.Labs, a startup studio that builds new companies in partnership with large industrial corporations, has raised $100 million and is now operating under a new name, Vantora, according to a report by TechCrunch.

The report said the firm is directing its efforts toward what it calls "physical AI," a term referring to artificial intelligence systems designed for use in industrial and physical-world settings, as opposed to purely digital or software-based applications.

TechCrunch described Vantora's business model as building startups for industrial corporations, positioning the company as a venture builder rather than a traditional investor or accelerator. The report did not specify the identities of the corporate partners involved or provide further details on the specific startups created through the program.

Details about the investors who participated in the $100 million funding round, as well as the timing of the rebrand from UP.Labs to Vantora, were not elaborated on in the available report.

TechCrunch's report characterizes the move as part of a broader push by the company to align its venture-building activities with the emerging category of physical AI, an area that has drawn increasing attention from technology and industrial firms.