iPresence Inc.
Category: Robotics / Embodied AI
Kobe-based robotics venture and Japan's first remote-presence specialist, maker of the kubi desktop telepresence robot and provider of telepresence avatar robots, digital twin, and Physical AI solutions. iPresence Inc. was founded in 2014. The company is led by Chris Francis Christophers (クリストファーズ・クリスフランシス). Based in Kobe, Hyogo, Japan. Team size: 11-50. Total funding raised: $0.2M. Latest round: Venture Round. Key investors include Minato Growth Enterprise Mirai Fund No.3 (Minato Bank / Resona Capital / Minato Capital), BCC Inc. (TSE Growth: 7376, capital/business alliance), Asahi Electronics.
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
- Team size
- 11-50
- Total funding
- $0.2M
Value proposition
Teleportation as a Service (TaaS): a platform that centrally manages and operates diverse telepresence avatar robots (kubi, temi, Double3, Telepii, Orihime) combined with digital twin and AI to deliver immersive remote presence for education, healthcare, business, and factory DX.
Products and solutions
kubi 2.0 (desktop telepresence × Physical AI platform, Kickstarter launch Sept 18 2026), kubi (original desktop telepresence robot), temi (AI mobile telepresence robot), Double3, Telepii (moving phone), Orihime, iTOUR, AvatarTwin, ArchiTwin digital twin, Teleport-Cloud platform, apps: Telepotalk
Unique value
kubi 2.0 is a desktop telepresence × Physical AI platform that gives remote people freedom to look around and face others (300° pan / 55° tilt), and gives AI agents a physical body — with an open API for AI agent developers, face tracking, and AI-driven autonomous greeting/guidance.
Target customer
Schools (sick/hospitalized student remote participation), hospitals & long-term care, enterprises/offices (remote work, hybrid office), factories (remote patrol/DX), showrooms, museums, local government, and AI agent developers (Physical AI).
Industries served
Education, Healthcare & long-term care, Business/office & hybrid work, Manufacturing/factory DX, Showrooms & museums, Retail, Local government, Events/MICE.
Technology advantage
Proprietary Teleportation-as-a-Service platform for centralized management of multiple telepresence robots; kubi 2.0 redesigned in Japan with magnetic tablet mount, low-center-of-gravity stability, quiet operation, USB-C power, Bluetooth control; open API/SDK for AI agent integration (Physical AI); face tracking + AI dialogue; holds multiple Japanese patents (e.g. 6560725, 6749711, 7012272, 7088526) and trademarks.
How they differentiate
Differentiates via a multi-robot Teleportation-as-a-Service platform (managing kubi, temi, Double3, Telepii, Orihime centrally), combining telepresence robots with digital twin and AI, and now offering kubi 2.0 as an open Physical AI platform with API/SDK for AI agent developers — giving AI agents a physical body.
Main competitors
Double Robotics (Double3), Robotemi (temi), OhmniLabs (Ohmni), Ory Lab (Orihime)
Key partnerships
Capital/business alliance with BCC Inc. (TSE Growth: 7376), partnership with Asahi Electronics, Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 operating supplier (temi), Tokyo Metropolitan Government "King Salmon Project" certification for Teleport-Cloud, licensed kubi manufacturing/sales from US maker Xandex.
Notable customers
Eiwa Shinkin Bank (temiV3 AI guidance robot), Ricoh Japan, WOWOW Communications, Daino Funeral Corporation, Kuriyama Holdings, Shimane Prefectural Ironworkers Association, Zensei Pharmaceutical, Higuchi Manufacturing, Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025.
Major milestones
Founded May 2014, kubi sales began Sept 2014, UK subsidiary iPresence Ltd. 2015, ANA AVATAR XPRIZE Semi-Finalist 2019/2021, Telepii crowdfunding 353% achieved 2021, incorporated as kabushiki kaisha Dec 2023, capital/business alliance with BCC Inc. 2024, Osaka-Kansai Expo 2025 operating supplier & "Dokodemo Expo" EXPO Innovation Award 2025, METI "300 Thriving SMEs" FY2025, Cabinet Office Barrier-Free/UD commendation Dec 2025, kubi 2.0 Kickstarter launch Sept 18 2026.
Growth metrics
Capital ¥25.6M; latest funding ¥30M (Mar 2026); ~4,000 children served via "Dokodemo Expo" remote Expo experience (2025)
Market positioning
Japan's first remote-presence specialist and pioneer in telepresence avatar robots + digital twin; selected as one of METI's "300 Thriving SMEs" (FY2025); positioned as a Physical AI platform provider with kubi 2.0.
Geographic focus
Japan (Kansai/Kobe base, national coverage) with global expansion via Kickstarter for kubi 2.0
Patents and IP
Japanese patents: 6560725, 6749711 (communication robot & system), 7012272 (robot system), 7088526 (information provision system). Trademarks: iTOUR, 動く電話, Telepii, iPresence, テレロボ.
About Chris Francis Christophers (クリストファーズ・クリスフランシス)
Architect/designer and HR consultant; led West Japan (Osaka/Nagoya) launch and national sales for a major foreign remote-communication services firm. Studied architecture at University of Sheffield (UK). Founded iPresence in 2014 as Japan's first remote-presence specialist; ANA AVATAR XPRIZE Semi-Finalist.
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Official website: https://ipresence.jp