You may not realize it but sensors are all around us- from everyday items like smartphones and dishwashers, to possibly thousands within a factory . Sensors today measure things like temperature, vibration, humidity, pressure, sound, and proximity to objects then get delivered to systems designed to enhance safety and efficiency.
A startup called Archetype AI seeks to help analyze all of the sensor data to provide deeper insights into the physical world. The startup developed a new type of AI model called Newton that not only interprets data from sensor signals but also empowers developers with actionable insights, helping them build innovative solutions and products. Users simply ask open-ended questions in natural language, similar to how we interact with traditional AI tools based on text or images.
With Archetype AI, people can communicate with their homes, cars, or even manufacturing plants to solve problems quickly and easily.
For example, construction companies are using Archetype to help measure productivity and reduce injuries at job sites. Some tech companies have deployed it to develop communication systems for smart home devices, and industrial firms are using Archetype to predict maintenance issues for critical equipment. Archetype hopes to provide an AI solution that goes beyond a single chat-bot or text generation – to using AI to address problems in the physical world.
“We believe the world’s most important and urgent problems are in real life, but most AI development has targeted the virtual world. That’s a big missed opportunity we’re hoping to address.”
— Brandon Barbello, Founder + COO, Archetype AI
From Unstructured Data to Actionable Insights
The company’s five co-founders — Nick Gillian, Ivan Poupyrev, Jaime Lien, Leonardo Giusti, and Brandon Barbello — worked together at Google for years.
Motivated by a shared vision, they left Google to pursue transforming sensor data into actionable insights. However, they faced significant challenges. Sensor data is often unstructured, varied in format, and difficult to interpret. Developing useful applications requires substantial expertise, time, and financial investment. Custom solutions demand proficiency in data engineering, machine learning, and industry-specific knowledge, slowing the development of new technologies.
The team realized that many traditional AI models weren’t equipped to handle the complexities of sensor data, which comes in multiple modalities. Text-based AI excels at language processing, but sensor data requires a model that can analyze diverse data types simultaneously.
So, they built Newton, a physical AI model capable of processing multimodal sensor data, including radar, audio, temperature, and more. With Archetype, businesses in industries such as construction, electronics, automotive, logistics, and retail can uncover patterns invisible to the human eye — which can then be used to optimize systems and build powerful new products and services. The platform’s success has attracted a $13 million seed round of venture capital funding and a growing roster of enterprise clients.
“Even if they haven’t worked with sensors or AI before, professionals in many industries can build solutions using our platform.”
— Brandon Barbello, Founder + COO, Archetype AI
How LIFT Labs Helped Archetype AI Scale New Heights
In the fall of 2024, Archetype AI completed the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator, gaining valuable connections and exploring potential partnerships with teams across the organization. During the program, Archetype worked with Comcast business units to develop a demo that could analyze data from multiple home sensors, envisioning the potential for a smart home assistant use case.
“If we are going to succeed in our mission to build an AI for the physical world, we need great partners — and Comcast would be a dream partner,” said Barbello. “LIFT Labs provided a structured process for exploring these new opportunities together.”
What’s Next? Archetype AI’s Vision for a Smarter, More Connected World
Barbello envisions a future where Archetype enables seamless interactions allowing people to talk to machines to make cities run smoother, model weather patterns, or resolve issues. If they are purchasing a home, they could use it to find potential issues with the property. A city could potentially use it to connect all traffic and weather sensors to optimize transportation.
“If AI can interpret the world through sensors that exceed human perception, could it enhance our understanding of climate modeling or accelerate scientific discovery? We hope our model can unlock insights that were previously beyond our reach.”
— Brandon Barbello, Founder + COO, Archetype AI
Want to stay ahead of AI’s impact? Keep an eye on our upcoming stories as we explore more cutting-edge innovations from the LIFT Labs ecosystem.
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