Embodied

About Embodied

Embodied, Inc. is a robotics and AI company founded in 2016 by Paolo Pirjanian and Maja Matarić, with a vision to create socially and emotionally intelligent companions to enhance wellness and quality of life. The company is headquartered in Pasadena, California.

Paolo Pirjanian, the CEO, has a background rooted in a personal journey of overcoming adversity as a refugee from Iran, which motivated him to use technology to improve people's lives. His career includes significant roles such as CTO at iRobot, where he was instrumental in developing navigation technology for the Roomba, and experience at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Co-founder Maja Matarić is a renowned professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California and a pioneer in the field of socially assistive robotics. Her extensive research in human-robot interaction laid the scientific groundwork for the company's products.

Embodied's flagship product is Moxie, an AI-powered animate companion designed for children aged 5-10. Moxie's primary function is to support the social, emotional, and cognitive development of children through play-based learning. It engages kids in daily missions and themed activities that focus on developing skills like kindness, empathy, emotional regulation, and conversational abilities. Moxie is particularly beneficial for children facing challenges such as autism, anxiety, and depression by providing a safe, non-judgmental space to practice social interactions.

The robot utilizes a sophisticated technology platform called SocialX™, which combines computer vision, natural language processing, and generative AI to perceive and respond to natural human cues like eye contact, facial expressions, and conversation. A key feature is its ability to filter out background noise to focus on a single user, creating a more personal interaction. For parents, a companion app provides insights into their child's progress and allows them to customize the experience. Initially, Moxie was sold for approximately $800-$1,500 with a required monthly subscription for cloud services and content updates. The business model targeted both direct-to-consumer sales and partnerships with schools and clinics. However, in late 2024, the company announced it was shutting down after a critical funding round failed, causing the cloud-dependent Moxie robots to cease functioning.