Tombot

About Tombot

Tombot, Inc. designs and develops realistic robotic companion animals for individuals who are unable to care for a live pet due to health adversities. The company was founded in 2017 by Tom, Jesse, and Henry Schorz, with Tom Stevens as the CEO. The inspiration for Tombot came from CEO Tom Stevens' personal experience with his mother, Nancy, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia. When her condition made it unsafe for her to care for her dog, Stevens had to re-home the pet, which worsened his mother's loneliness and depression. This event motivated him to find a substitute, leading to the creation of Tombot after years of research, which included earning a Master of Science in Management from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

The company's flagship product is "Jennie," a hyper-realistic robotic puppy modeled after a young Labrador Retriever. The artistic design for Jennie was developed in collaboration with Jim Henson's Creature Shop to achieve lifelike appearance and movements. Jennie is equipped with sensors that allow it to respond to touch and voice commands, and it can exhibit a range of behaviors such as wagging its tail and barking. The robot is designed to sit on a person's lap, avoiding the fall risk associated with a mobile pet for its target users. An accompanying smartphone app allows for customization, including renaming the puppy and receiving software updates for new features.

Tombot operates on a dual business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) model. It sells Jennie directly to individuals and families through its website and also distributes through professional care organizations like assisted living facilities and skilled nursing homes. The primary market is seniors with dementia, but the company has seen demand from customers with other conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and autism. Tombot's objective is for Jennie to become the first FDA-regulated, medical-grade robotic animal on the market, which may eventually allow for health insurance reimbursement.