Stephan-Daniel Gravert (Mimic Robotics): 10 Key Things You Must Know

Overview

Stephan-Daniel Gravert is a prominent figure in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence, best known as the co-founder and Chief Product Officer (CPO) of mimic robotics, a cutting-edge deep tech startup based in Zurich, Switzerland. Mimic robotics specializes in the development of AI-driven dexterous robotic hands designed to emulate human-level dexterity for application in industrial and logistics environments. Gravert's background in electrical engineering and experience at distinguished organizations like Brainlab and MIT, where he co-developed hardware for NASA's International Space Station, inform his leadership in product strategy and business development at mimic. This article explores ten key aspects of Gravert's career, his contributions to robotics, and the groundbreaking developments at mimic robotics.

1. Background and Early Career

Stephan-Daniel Gravert holds a background in electrical engineering and embarked on a career intersecting robotics and AI. He has previously worked with renowned companies such as Brainlab, a known player in medical technology, and contributed to pioneering projects at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). During his time at MIT, Gravert was involved in co-developing hardware implemented by NASA on the International Space Station, highlighting early exposure to high-impact technological development. This foundation laid the ground for his subsequent focus on robotic manipulation and AI-driven systems.

2. Founding mimic robotics

Founded in 2024 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich's Soft Robotics Lab, mimic robotics emerged under the leadership of Gravert and his co-founders. The company channels innovative research toward developing affordable, highly capable humanoid robotic hands equipped with AI models capable of human-like dexterous manipulation. Gravert, as CPO, leads product strategy and business development efforts. The founding team’s motivation stemmed from a desire to create robots that fit directly into existing human workflows instead of forcing environmental redesigns, ultimately addressing complex, manual labor tasks through scalable AI and robotic hardware.

3. Role at mimic Robotics

As Chief Product Officer, Gravert’s responsibilities encompass steering product strategy, overseeing hardware development, and expanding business operations. His role is central to aligning mimic’s technology with market needs, particularly in industries facing labor shortages such as manufacturing, logistics, and food handling. By integrating AI and human-demonstration-trained robotic hands with off-the-shelf industrial robot arms, Gravert plays a critical role in delivering a simplified and deployable robotic solution tailored for complex industrial tasks.

4. Mimic’s Technological Approach

Mimic robotics focuses on coupling dexterous humanoid robotic hands with standard robot arms rather than developing full humanoid robots. This approach prioritizes adaptability, cost-effectiveness, and rapid deployment in industrial settings. Central to their technology are general-purpose AI models that are trained through imitation learning using extensive datasets collected from humans performing tasks on factory floors. This training enables the robots to autonomously adapt to environmental changes, handle disturbances, and self-correct, thereby replicating human dexterity at scale.

5. Funding and Industry Recognition

Under Gravert’s co-leadership, mimic has secured significant funding to advance its vision. In November 2025, the startup announced a $16 million seed funding round led by Elaia and Speedinvest, followed by participation from prominent investors including the Sequoia Scout Fund. This investment boosts mimic’s total raised funds to over $20 million, underscoring strong market confidence. Additionally, mimic has been recognized by Swiss federal innovation programs such as Innosuisse and participated in the AWS Generative AI Accelerator, supporting its mission to bridge AI research and real-world industrial applications.

6. Academic and Research Contributions

Gravert’s expertise extends to research, with publications on artificial muscle technologies and contributions to the innovative intersection of AI and robotics. His engagement with academic institutions and research labs like ETH Zurich’s Soft Robotics Lab reflects his blend of scholarly insight and practical innovation. These contributions inform the design of mimic's robotic systems, particularly in advancing AI models that learn from human dexterity to improve robotic manipulation.

7. Impact on the Robotics Industry

Mimic robotics, through Gravert’s vision, challenges the current trends dominated by expensive, full humanoid robots predominantly developed in the United States and China. By focusing on the most critical component of dexterity—the robotic hand—mimic offers a pragmatic solution with strong scalability potential. This approach addresses pressing labor shortages and adapts to complex, unstructured environments that traditional robots struggle to navigate, thus impacting sectors like manufacturing and logistics significantly.

8. Technological Innovations in AI-Driven Dexterity

Gravert and the mimic team have pioneered the use of frontier physical AI models that combine advanced hardware with scalable AI trained on human task demonstrations. This method enables robots to perform varied and unstructured tasks driven by natural language prompts. The AI foundation models mimic human motor skills including handling changes in object position and orientation, reacting to disturbances, and performing self-correction, moving beyond rigid pre-programmed industrial robotics.

9. Vision for the Future of Automation

Gravert envisions a future where robots equipped with human-level dexterity become ubiquitous, seamlessly integrated into existing workflows across industries. Unlike the full humanoid robots that require substantial infrastructural changes, mimic’s robotic hands designed for off-the-shelf arms promise widespread adaptability and affordability. This vision taps into trends of reshore manufacturing due to global supply chain uncertainties and addresses labor market pressures through intelligent automation.

10. Personal Interests and Leadership Style

Beyond his technical and entrepreneurial achievements, Stephan-Daniel Gravert is known for his passion for hiking and skiing in the Swiss Alps, reflecting a balanced lifestyle alongside his high-tech endeavors. His leadership combines deep technical knowledge with market insight, driving mimic's strategy and fostering innovation focused on real-world industrial challenges. As the company grows, Gravert continues to be a key figure in extending Europe’s presence in the high-stakes robotics and AI domain.

Conclusion

Stephan-Daniel Gravert stands at the forefront of robotics innovation as a co-founder and Chief Product Officer of mimic robotics. Drawing on his academic background and industry experience, Gravert leads efforts to revolutionize industrial automation with dexterous, AI-powered robotic hands that replicate human manipulation skills. His pragmatic approach sidesteps the complexities of full humanoid robots, addressing real-world labor shortages with scalable and adaptable solutions. As mimic robotics advances with substantial funding and a growing team, Gravert’s work highlights the promising intersection of AI and robotics in shaping the future of manufacturing and logistics. How this evolution in robotic dexterity will redefine human labor and industrial workflows remains a dynamic field to watch.