Lyte Emerges From Stealth With $107 Million to Build the Perception Foundation for Physical AI
- Founding team behind Apple Face ID and Microsoft Kinect launches unified sensing platform for robotics.
- Raises an aggregate of $107M from prominent investors.
- Wins Best of Innovation in Robotics and Honoree in Vehicle Tech and Advanced Mobility at CES 2026.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Lyte, an end-to-end integrated perception company for robotics and Physical AI, today emerged from stealth with $107 million in aggregate funding. Its mission is to give robots the ability to see, understand, and operate safely in the physical world.
Founding team behind Apple Face ID and Microsoft Kinect launches unified sensing platform for robotics.Share
Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Lyte was founded by Alexander Shpunt, Arman Hajati, and Yuval Gerson, the key architects behind Apple’s depth-sensing and perception technologies. CEO Alexander Shpunt co-founded and served as CTO of PrimeSense, the 3D sensing company that powered Microsoft Kinect and later became the foundation of Apple’s depth platform after its 2013 acquisition.
Lyte has assembled a world-class team spanning sensing, silicon, and Physical AI. The company’s founding investor and Chairman of the Board is Avigdor Willenz, a pioneering semiconductor entrepreneur behind several of the most influential silicon platforms of the past three decades.
The company has raised an aggregate of $107M from some of the industry’s premier investors, including Avigdor Willenz’s group, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Atreides Management, Exor Ventures, Key1 Capital, and Venture Tech Alliance. With this funding, Lyte is building the perception foundation for autonomous machines. Its core product, LyteVision, integrates advanced 4D sensing, RGB imaging, and motion awareness into a single platform, delivering unified spatial and visual data through one connection. LyteVision enables a wide range of Physical AI platforms, including autonomous mobile robots, robotic arms, quadrupeds, robotaxis, and humanoids. Engineered for safety, reliability, and performance from the hardware up, the system is paired with an AI-driven operating layer that continuously advances alongside breakthroughs in vision, language, and action models – enabling Physical AI systems to perceive, reason, and act with increasing intelligence over time.
The AI robotics market is projected to reach $125 billion by 2030, according to leading researchers1, yet over 60% of industrial companies lack the internal capability to implement robotic automation, including sensor integration, according to McKinsey.
The company’s approach addresses a structural problem in robotics. Teams today assemble perception from multiple vendors, then spend months calibrating sensors, writing fusion software, and debugging integration failures. Lyte’s vertically integrated stack eliminates that cycle.
“Physical AI will change how the world works, but only if robots can see it clearly,” said Alexander Shpunt, CEO and Co-Founder. “After helping shape how billions of people interact with technology, we’ve assembled an extraordinary team to build the perception layer that enables robots to operate safely and reliably at scale.”
“Lyte is building at the right layer, at the right moment,” said Avigdor Willenz, founding investor and Chairman. “I’ve seen how foundational technologies unlock entire industries. What stands out here is the depth of the team and the discipline to solve perception as a system – where lasting value is created.”
“Lyte is building core infrastructure for Physical AI: a perception platform that helps robots safely understand and interact with the real world,” said Gavin Baker, Managing Partner, Atreides Management. “The founders already pioneered one era of 3D sensing and are among the select few with the credibility and technical depth to usher in a new frontier defined by coherent 4D vision and full-stack perception.”
Lyte’s perception platform was recognized at CES 2026 with a Best of Innovation Award in Robotics and as an Honoree in Vehicle Tech and Advanced Mobility, selected from a record 3,600 submissions. Lyte will present the technology at CES through private, by-appointment demonstrations. Inquiries: info@lyte.ai.
About Lyte
Lyte builds perception systems for Physical AI operating in complex environments. The company combines custom silicon, integrated sensors, and software into a unified platform for robotics, mobility, and next-generation automation. Lyte is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with a global presence. For more information, visit www.lyte.ai.
1 All About AI aggregated research, including from Grand View Research, Mordor Intelligence, and Precedence Research; Investor Place
Contacts
Media Contact: press@lyte.ai
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