Aug 04, 2026 | Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji
Swiss startup Exclaim Robotics, founded by a former Microsoft engineer, has raised $4.95 million in pre-seed funding to develop autonomous robots for AI data center maintenance. Backed by Founderful and Playfair, the company aims to automate remote hands tasks such as cleaning optics, reconnecting cables, and replacing drives using mobile robots designed for precise rack-side operations.
Exclaim’s robots are designed to autonomously navigate data halls, position themselves at racks, and perform maintenance tasks from floor to top rail without requiring facility modifications. Founded by former Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia robotics researcher Helen Oleynikova, the company’s concept features a wheeled platform with dual robotic arms for rack-side operations.
“I first found out why robots in data centers make sense at Microsoft, through collaboration with an internal team, and after looking across a lot of verticals for where robotics could actually be commercially viable, this is the one I kept coming back to,” Oleynikova said on Linkdin. “It's one of the fastest-evolving industries in physical infrastructure, where increased power densities are running right up against the laws of physics: including switching to 800V DC in the next generation of AI racks. This poses many safety questions, and we think robots are the answer.”
Exclaim founder Helen Oleynikova previously co-created nvblox, Nvidia’s 3D mapping and collision-avoidance library, and is joined by a team of engineers from Nvidia and ETH Zürich. The startup plans to use its funding to develop prototypes, advance robotic dexterity and autonomy, and prepare for early data center deployments as AI infrastructure becomes increasingly complex.
