Embodied, the company behind the Moxi robot, has announced it will be shutting down due to severe financial challenges, following a failed funding round that left it unable to continue operations. Moxi, the 4-foot-tall robot designed to assist healthcare workers by transporting medication, supplies, and personal items through hospital corridors, will cease functioning once its cloud services are discontinued.
The shutdown follows the withdrawal of a key investor, who had initially committed to a critical funding round for the company. Embodied had hoped to secure enough investment to continue operations, but when the lead investor pulled out at the last minute, the company was unable to find an alternative funding source in time. As a result, the company has made the difficult decision to cease operations, although it has not provided an exact date for when Moxi will stop working. The company is exploring options to keep the robot operational as long as possible, but warns that no guarantees can be made.
Moxi’s Role in Healthcare
Moxi had been deployed in several hospitals across the United States, including Mary Washington Hospital in Virginia, where it became a key part of the hospital’s strategy to reduce nurse burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses relied on Moxi to carry supplies, medication, and even personal items for patients, allowing staff to focus on more critical tasks. Since February, two Moxi robots have saved hospital staff an estimated 600 hours by performing these repetitive and time-consuming tasks.
In a statement, Abigail Hamilton, a nursing staff support manager at Mary Washington, shared that Moxi’s presence helped alleviate some of the immense burnout experienced by healthcare workers, particularly after two years of pandemic-related stress. “Moxi has saved nurses time and energy, allowing them to focus on what matters most—patient care,” said Hamilton.
Moxi was developed by Diligent Robotics, founded in 2017 by roboticists Vivian Chu and Andrea Thomaz. The robot, equipped with a robotic arm, camera, and lidar sensor, was designed to perform delivery tasks in hospitals, helping reduce the strain on healthcare staff. It could autonomously navigate hospital halls, transport lab samples, and even bring personal items like smartphones or teddy bears to patients.
In an interview with Robohub, Andrea shared, “We are building Moxi to help hospitals with the massive workforce shortage that they’re seeing now more than ever. We actually started the company with the same intention several years ago before there was a worldwide pandemic, and it really has just gotten to be an even bigger problem for hospitals.”
Despite the robot’s promising potential, especially in an era when nurse shortages and burnout are pressing issues, Moxi’s reliance on cloud connectivity meant that once the services supporting it are discontinued, Moxi will no longer function.
The shutdown comes as a disappointment to many, particularly those who had recently purchased Moxi or were benefiting from its help in hospitals. Embodied has acknowledged the challenges this poses to families and healthcare workers, offering a letter to help parents explain the situation to their children. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, Embodied has stated it will not be offering refunds for Moxi purchases, though it will prioritize refunds for purchases made within the last 30 days if the company’s assets are sold.
While the future of Moxi remains uncertain, Embodied has expressed interest in finding a new owner for the robot to ensure it continues to serve healthcare facilities. If this happens, the company promises to inform customers and provide updates on the robot’s continued operations. However, with the company dissolving and no guarantee of a buyer, the fate of Moxi remains unclear.
In terms of data security, Embodied assures customers that personal data collected by Moxi will be securely deleted in accordance with privacy policies and applicable laws upon the company’s dissolution. If Moxi or its services are acquired, user data will transfer to the new owner, who will determine how it is used going forward.
Despite the closure of Embodied, Moxi’s role in healthcare highlights the growing trend of robots being used to alleviate the burden on healthcare professionals, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Robots like Moxi are designed to handle repetitive tasks, allowing nurses and other staff to focus on critical care. As healthcare facilities continue to face staffing shortages and burnout, the integration of robotics is likely to remain a key component in supporting workers and improving patient care. However, Moxi’s shutdown serves as a reminder of the challenges in sustaining such technologies without sufficient funding.
