In a strong testomony to this momentum, Hugging Face, one of many world’s main open-source AI platforms, has acquired Pollen Robotics, a French startup specializing in modular humanoid robots. Although the acquisition quantity stays undisclosed, the transfer is a big one—not simply in enterprise phrases, but in addition symbolically—as Hugging Face circles again to its French origins whereas reinforcing its world enlargement in robotics and AI.
France is quickly establishing itself as some of the dynamic AI ecosystems in Europe. As soon as overshadowed by Silicon Valley and London’s tech dominance, France is now rising as a powerhouse—pushed by a potent combine of presidency backing, educational excellence, and a deep cultural embrace of open-source expertise. With high-profile gamers like Mistral AI elevating near €500 million, and fast-growing startups similar to Photoroom, Nabla, and Poolside turning heads globally, French AI innovation is not enjoying catch-up—it’s setting the tempo.
Why Pollen Robotics Is a Sport-Changer?
Based in Bordeaux in 2016 by researchers Matthieu Lapeyre and Pierre Rouanet, Pollen Robotics is understood for its dedication to open-source ideas—making it a pure match for Hugging Face’s community-first mannequin. The corporate had earlier raised €2.5 million from backers together with Bpifrance, the French public funding financial institution.
Their flagship product, Reachy, is a humanoid robotic platform designed for schooling and analysis. The newest model, Reachy 2, is already getting used at elite establishments like Cornell College and Carnegie Mellon College. With options like stereo imaginative and prescient, VR-based teleoperation, and spatialized audio, the robotic presents high-end capabilities in a versatile, modular design. It’s priced at $70,000, concentrating on labs and academic establishments aiming to discover the following frontier in robotics.
Hugging Face’s Broader Robotics Imaginative and prescient
This isn’t Hugging Face’s first step into the world of robotics. In 2023, the corporate collaborated with Pollen Robotics to launch Le Robotic, an open-source assistant designed to carry out primary family duties. The success of that mission prompted the formation of a devoted robotics staff at Hugging Face, led by Rémi Cadene, a former engineer on Tesla’s Optimus robotics staff.
With the acquisition of Pollen Robotics, Hugging Face now plans to combine its AI fashions with Reachy 2 {hardware}, permitting builders not simply to make use of the robotic, however to obtain and enhance its codebase. It is a main step towards making clever, programmable robots accessible to the worldwide developer neighborhood.
Hugging Face: A French-Born World Chief
Hugging Face was based in Paris in 2016 by Julien Chaumond, Thomas Wolf, and Clément Delangue. Initially launched as a chatbot app for teenagers, the corporate pivoted to develop into the “GitHub for machine studying,” providing an unlimited ecosystem of pre-trained AI fashions and open-source instruments. As we speak, Hugging Face boasts over 1 million month-to-month lively customers, and has raised practically $400 million from main traders like Sequoia Capital, Google, Amazon, and Coatue.
Though its headquarters are actually in New York, Hugging Face’s coronary heart stays in France. Its Paris workplace is the corporate’s largest, dwelling to over 70 of its 180 world workers, whereas one other 50 are based mostly throughout Europe. Co-founder Julien Chaumond has emphasised that an organization’s impression shouldn’t be outlined by geography however by its neighborhood and values.
Why This Issues for France?
This acquisition isn’t only a strategic transfer—it’s an announcement. France, as soon as seen as a second-tier participant in world tech, is now dwelling to world-class expertise, analysis establishments, and a rising investor ecosystem. Decrease operational prices in comparison with Silicon Valley and the rise of hybrid work have made cities like Paris and Bordeaux prime hubs for innovation.
Startups like Hugging Face are displaying that it’s not solely doable to construct globally aggressive AI merchandise from France, however that French corporations can lead the cost. With Hugging Face actively investing in homegrown expertise and now buying native innovators like Pollen Robotics, France’s transformation into a world AI superpower is accelerating.
What’s Subsequent?
For Hugging Face, this deal opens up new frontiers in open-source robotics, combining its large mannequin library with real-world robotic purposes. For France, it’s one other milestone in its journey to turning into a high vacation spot for AI and robotics funding.
The acquisition additionally indicators a broader shift within the tech world: the period of decentralized, open-source-driven innovation is right here—and France is at its heart.
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