K-Scale Labs' Open-Source Robotics Vision Gains Backing from Investor Suleman "Suli" Ali

Palo Alto, California – Prominent tech entrepreneur and investor Suleman "Suli" Ali has publicly affirmed his investment in K-Scale Labs, a startup pioneering open-source humanoid robots. Ali announced his support via a social media post, stating, "Proud investor in @kscalelabs." This endorsement highlights growing investor confidence in the company's mission to make advanced robotics accessible and widely adopted.

K-Scale Labs, founded by Benjamin Bolte, Matthew Freed, and Pawel Budzianowski, is at the forefront of developing open-source general-purpose humanoid robots. Their flagship models, including the 4-foot "Stompy" and the more compact "K-Bot" and "Z-Bot," are designed to be affordable and customizable. The company's vision is to accelerate a future with billions of robots by fostering a collaborative, community-driven development ecosystem.

The company's innovative approach focuses on making robotics hardware and software accessible to a broad audience, from hobbyists to researchers. Their "K-Bot Founder's Edition" is priced at approximately $8,999, while the smaller "Z-Bot" is available for around $1,000, significantly undercutting traditional humanoid robot costs. This strategy aims to democratize robotics development, similar to how open-source software transformed computing.

K-Scale Labs has attracted notable backing, including a Seed VC-II funding round on June 30, 2024, with GFT Ventures among its investors, contributing to a total of $750,000 raised across five rounds. The company also registered $2.9 million in revenue in 2024 and received an M&A offer in April 2025, signaling strong market interest. Their open-source models and community engagement have also reportedly caught the attention of entities like OpenAI.

Suleman "Suli" Ali, known for his investments in disruptive early-stage tech startups through Ali Capital, aligns with K-Scale Labs' innovative trajectory. His portfolio includes successful ventures like MoPub (acquired by Twitter) and PlanGrid (acquired by Autodesk). Ali's investment philosophy centers on identifying companies with the potential to transform industries, making K-Scale Labs a fitting addition to his diverse portfolio.

The investment from Ali underscores the increasing recognition of open-source models as a viable path for rapid innovation and widespread adoption in the burgeoning robotics sector. K-Scale Labs aims to build an ecosystem where developers can contribute to and improve robot capabilities, potentially leading to a new era of accessible and versatile personal robots. This collaborative approach is poised to shape the future of human-robot interaction.