How Almond Uses AI to Make Factory Automation Affordable
In an era defined by technological acceleration, Almond stands out as a startup determined to reshape the landscape of modern manufacturing. Co-founded by Saba Khalilnaji and Shawn Patel, Almond is introducing an AI-powered robotics solution that finally makes high-mix pick & place automation accessible and affordable for manufacturers. Backed by Y Combinator’s Spring 2025 batch and supported by David Lieb as a primary partner, Almond is not just building machines—it’s redefining what’s possible on the factory floor.
What Problem Does Almond Aim to Solve in Manufacturing?
Traditional industrial automation has long been built on pre-programmed, rigid systems. These systems operate by following pre-defined paths and movements, often requiring custom fixtures, precisely engineered hardware, and extensive programming efforts. While effective in high-volume, low-mix production environments—think automotive factories or electronics assembly lines—these robots fall short in the broader world of low-volume, high-mix manufacturing.
Yet, this is where most manufacturers actually operate. From consumer goods and bespoke packaging to modular furniture and niche industrial components, the majority of real-world manufacturing involves a wide variety of products in smaller quantities. Automating these workflows is typically too expensive and too complex—until now.
How Does Almond’s Technology Work?
At the heart of Almond’s value proposition is Almond Bot, a vision-based AI robot specifically designed to handle high-mix pick & place automation. Unlike traditional robots that rely on rigid programming, Almond Bot utilizes modern diffusion models and transformer-based AI architectures to interpret its environment in real time.
This enables the robot to:
- Recognize and adapt to a wide variety of objects.
- Perform pick & place tasks without extensive reprogramming.
- Operate in unstructured or semi-structured environments.
- Learn and improve with minimal human input over time.
But Almond doesn’t just sell hardware—they provide a fully-integrated robot-as-a-service (RaaS) model, packaging the technology into a turnkey solution for manufacturers. The robot is installed, maintained, and continuously improved by the Almond team—helping clients avoid upfront capital expenditures and enjoy automation as a service.
What Makes Almond’s Approach Different?
Almond is addressing a crucial blind spot in industrial automation. Historically, automation only made economic sense for massive factories with deep pockets. Almond flips this equation by democratizing access to robotic automation.
Here’s how Almond distinguishes itself:
- Affordability: With a pricing model as low as $7/hour, Almond Bot is competitive even with human labor, especially considering the speed and consistency of robotic execution.
- Adaptability: Instead of requiring expensive fixtures or retooling, Almond Bot can adapt to changes in product lines or packaging formats on the fly.
- Scalability: The robot-as-a-service approach allows manufacturers to start small and scale as needed—without committing to massive infrastructure changes.
In other words, Almond is not just building better robots; they’re building a better business model for deploying them.
Why Is Now the Right Time for Almond?
Almond's timing aligns with technological convergence and industrial necessity.
From a tech perspective, the rise of diffusion models, transformer networks, and real-time computer vision now enables robots to make sense of complex, varied environments. These breakthroughs mean that robots can now learn tasks from a few examples, rather than requiring thousands of lines of code.
On the economic front, global manufacturing faces ongoing pressure from:
- Labor shortages, especially for repetitive and low-skilled tasks.
- Cost increases, including wages and raw materials.
- Supply chain disruptions, necessitating more local, agile production.
Almond steps into this moment with a solution that is flexible, cost-effective, and immediately impactful.
Who Are the Founders Behind Almond?
The founders of Almond bring a rare blend of technical excellence, industry insight, and relentless ambition.
- Saba Khalilnaji: A former logistics engineer at DoorDash and ex-CTO of Conduit, Saba has firsthand experience in optimizing complex systems and solving labor-intensive problems at scale. She understands the pain points of logistics and fulfillment, and how AI can help solve them.
- Shawn Patel: A serial founder and lifelong builder, Shawn previously served as CTO at Camphor (PearX W24), worked on hardware at Google, and studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at UC Berkeley. From circuits to robots, Shawn brings deep hardware and software integration expertise.
Together, Saba and Shawn are building Almond not just as a product, but as a mission to revitalize American industry with modern automation tools.
What Is the Real Impact for Manufacturers?
For manufacturers, the impact of Almond is twofold: cost savings and revenue enablement.
1. Cost Savings:
By replacing human labor in repetitive, low-skill tasks with Almond Bot, companies can significantly reduce payroll expenses. The robot works 24/7 without fatigue or errors and requires no sick days or overtime.
2. Increased Revenue:
Faster, more consistent pick & place automation can lead to:
- Higher throughput
- Lower defect rates
- Faster order fulfillment
- Greater responsiveness to custom orders
The ability to adapt quickly to product variations without retooling unlocks new market opportunities—especially for manufacturers serving niche or fast-changing industries.
How Can Companies Get Started with Almond?
Getting started with Almond is surprisingly simple. Unlike traditional industrial robots that take weeks or months to implement, Almond Bot can be deployed in days, thanks to its vision-first AI and plug-and-play setup.
Interested manufacturers can hire Almond Bot for as little as $7/hour, making it accessible even to small and mid-sized factories. Almond handles setup, monitoring, updates, and maintenance—leaving teams to focus on production, not programming.
What’s Next for Almond?
Almond’s journey has only just begun. With funding and mentorship through Y Combinator, and early traction from real-world factories, Almond is preparing to scale operations, expand its team, and continue iterating on the next generation of AI-powered robots.
There’s also potential for the core technology to expand beyond pick & place—into inspection, assembly, and even warehouse logistics. In time, Almond may become a full-stack AI automation provider across all phases of production.
But for now, the focus is clear: bring cutting-edge robotics into the places that need it most—and do it affordably, flexibly, and fast.
Why Does Almond Matter?
Almond is more than a robotics company—it’s a statement about the future of manufacturing. In a world increasingly shaped by automation, Almond proves that intelligent robots don’t have to be exclusive to Fortune 500s. They can work in any factory, doing real tasks, for real value.
As industries grapple with the limitations of legacy systems and as global competition intensifies, Almond offers a practical path forward: smarter, faster, cheaper manufacturing enabled by AI.
The factory floor is changing. Almond is making sure everyone can keep up.