Origin Raises $20 Million to Scale Construction Robots, Led by Accel and Zacua Ventures

Origin, a San Francisco-based physical AI startup developing robots for interior construction, has raised $20 million in total funding in a round co-led by Accel and Zacua Ventures. The round also included participation from Unilazer Ventures, Schema Ventures, Z21, and angel investors associated with Anduril, Skild AI, 1X, and Tesla.

Founded in 2025 by Yogesh Ghaturle, Ashish Daga, and Tushar Makkar, Origin is developing autonomous robots to automate repetitive interior construction tasks. The company plans to use the funding to expand its robot fleet, deploy its flagship OG-1 system, conduct customer pilots across the United States and Europe, and extend its technology to additional construction workflows.

The announcement comes as construction companies face persistent labour shortages and seek ways to improve productivity through automation.

Origin's OG-1 Robot Targets Interior Construction

Origin's flagship robot, OG-1, is designed to automate wall-finishing work, including applying compound, sanding, and priming walls. These tasks are part of the interior construction process and require repeated operations across large building surfaces.

The robot is designed for use across multiple environments, including commercial buildings, residential apartments, data centres, hotels, and warehouses.

According to the company, Origin deployed its first robots at construction sites in New York within 10 months of its founding. It is now preparing customer pilots in the United States and Europe, including work with two large drywall-finishing contractors in the US.

The company's initial focus on wall finishing provides a starting point for expanding robotic automation across other interior construction activities.

Construction Action Model Powers Origin's Robots

Origin's robotics platform is powered by its Construction Action Model, a foundation model developed specifically for construction workflows.

The system combines task planning, autonomous navigation, and tool control to help robots perform construction tasks and adapt to changing site conditions.

Construction environments can present challenges for autonomous systems because workspaces, materials, and operating conditions vary between projects. Origin's approach is intended to help its robots carry out tasks within these changing environments.

The company plans to extend OG-1 beyond its current wall-finishing capabilities. Future applications under consideration include taping, drywall installation, drilling, and conduit installation.

Expanding into these tasks could allow Origin to address more stages of interior construction using its robotics platform. However, the announcement does not specify when each additional capability will become commercially available.

Origin Plans 150 Robots by the End of 2027

A major priority for the new funding is expanding Origin's robot fleet and increasing deployments at customer sites.

The startup is targeting a fleet of 150 robots by the end of 2027. Reaching that target will require the company to expand its manufacturing and deployment capacity while supporting customers across multiple construction environments.

Origin also plans to conduct pilots in Germany, Sweden, France, and Saudi Arabia, in addition to its US operations.

These deployments will help the company work with construction contractors across different markets and evaluate its robots in a range of operating conditions.

The company has not disclosed a detailed breakdown of how the $20 million will be allocated between fleet expansion, product development, engineering, and international deployment.

Founders Bring Experience Across Technology and Robotics

Origin was founded in 2025 by Yogesh Ghaturle, Ashish Daga, and Tushar Makkar, who bring experience across technology, autonomy, and hardware development.

Ghaturle previously founded Perpule, a cloud-based point-of-sale startup acquired by Amazon in 2021. His earlier entrepreneurial experience provides background in building and scaling technology businesses.

At Origin, Makkar leads autonomy. Before joining the startup, he worked at AI company Eightfold AI.

Daga leads hardware development and previously worked at Morphle Labs, a digital pathology startup.

The founding team's focus spans the software and physical systems required to bring autonomous construction robots into real-world environments.

Construction Labour Shortages Create Demand for Automation

Origin's funding comes amid growing interest in construction robotics as contractors look for ways to address labour shortages and improve project productivity.

A survey published by the Associated General Contractors of America in September 2026, as cited in the source report, found that worker shortages had delayed projects for 42% of surveyed US construction firms.

Labour availability is one of several operational challenges facing construction businesses. Projects also depend on coordinating specialised trades, meeting deadlines, and completing repetitive tasks consistently across large sites.

Robotics companies are attempting to address some of these challenges by automating specific activities rather than replacing the entire construction process. Interior finishing is one potential application because it involves repeatable work that must be carried out across many rooms and buildings.

For startups such as Origin, the challenge is translating robotic capabilities into reliable performance on active construction sites. Equipment must work within changing environments and fit into existing contractor workflows.

Customer pilots will therefore be important in assessing how effectively OG-1 performs beyond controlled demonstrations.

Construction Robotics Funding Continues to Attract Investors

The investment also reflects broader investor interest in construction automation.

According to a report from Zacua Ventures published with Hilti Ventures and 94 Ventures, construction robotics startups attracted $1.36 billion in venture funding during the first three quarters of 2025, compared with $612 million across the whole of 2024.

These figures indicate increased investment activity in the sector during the period covered by the report. They also provide context for Origin's fundraising as investors look at robotics applications beyond traditional industrial environments.

Accel and Zacua Ventures co-led Origin's $20 million round, joined by Unilazer Ventures, Schema Ventures, Z21, and angel investors associated with several technology and robotics companies.

The investor group brings attention to a startup operating at the intersection of physical AI, autonomous systems, and construction technology.

What Comes Next for Origin?

Origin plans to expand its robot fleet, deploy OG-1 with additional customers, and test its technology across US and European construction markets. It is also working toward broader capabilities covering drywall installation, drilling, conduit installation, and other interior construction tasks.

Its target of 150 robots by the end of 2027 provides a measurable milestone for the company's deployment plans.

The next phase will depend on whether Origin can scale its hardware, demonstrate dependable performance on customer sites, and integrate its robots into contractors' day-to-day operations.

For now, the $20 million funding round gives the startup additional capital to pursue those goals as construction companies explore automation to address labour constraints and improve productivity.