EdTech
Hardware/Robotics
Data/Analytics

Human Archive

Collecting multimodal data for robotics

China· 5 rolesSan Francisco· 3 rolesIndia· 1 role

CORE INFO

$8.2M
Total Funding
Seed
Round
2026
Founded
2-10
Team Size
San Francisco, California, United States
Headquarters

Human Archive is a Silicon Valley-based startup focused on collecting and labeling multimodal data to enhance robotics and embodied intelligence. By deploying custom hardware in various environments, they gather real-world data to create high-fidelity datasets essential for developing robotics foundation models. Their technology stack includes egocentric RGB video, stereo depth data, tactile glove data, and more, enabling them to capture a comprehensive range of human activities. Founded in 2026, Human Archive aims to model human embodied intelligence by understanding human interactions with the world. Their mission is to automate manual labor, increase global abundance, and shift human effort toward creativity. They collaborate with frontier research teams and robotics companies, providing crucial datasets that support the development of robots capable of operating in diverse real-world settings.

WHY WE WOULD WORK AT HUMAN ARCHIVE

Innovative Mission

Join a team dedicated to automating manual labor and enhancing global abundance through cutting-edge robotics and embodied intelligence.

Advanced Technology

Work with state-of-the-art multimodal data collection techniques, including egocentric RGB video and tactile glove data, to drive the future of robotics.

Impactful Work

Contribute to projects that gather real-world data, helping to develop robots capable of operating in diverse environments across various industries.

Collaborative Culture

Be part of a small, dynamic team that values collaboration and innovation, working alongside frontier research teams and robotics companies.

Growth Opportunities

Benefit from the startup environment with significant growth potential, as Human Archive is backed by notable investors like Y Combinator and OpenAI.

Creative Focus

Shift human effort toward creativity by helping to model human interactions, paving the way for advancements in areas like cognition and rehabilitation.

MARKET AND TRACTION

GROWTH TACTICS

  • Human Archive captures up to 8,000 hours of multimodal human activity data per day, which is crucial for training next-generation robots.

  • The company has established a contributor network of over 50,000 individuals, enhancing its data collection capabilities across various environments.

  • Partnerships with more than 500 industry partners across sectors like residential, hospitality, retail, construction, agriculture, and industrial environments support their growth strategy.
  • TOTAL ADDRESSABLE MARKET

  • Human Archive operates in the robotics and AI sectors, which are rapidly growing industries with increasing demand for high-fidelity datasets.

  • The focus on automating manual labor and enhancing robotics capabilities positions Human Archive to tap into multiple sectors, including service industries and manufacturing, which are ripe for automation.
  • KEY METRICS

    ✦ KEY METRIC
  • Total funding raised by Human Archive amounts to $8.2 million, indicating strong investor confidence in their business model and technology.

  • The company is part of Y Combinator's Winter 2026 batch, which is a notable achievement that enhances its visibility and credibility in the startup ecosystem.
  • COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

  • Human Archive's unique technology stack includes egocentric RGB video, stereo depth data, and tactile glove data, allowing for comprehensive data collection that is essential for developing advanced robotics.

  • The company's ability to deploy custom hardware in diverse environments gives it an edge in gathering real-world data compared to competitors who may rely on less versatile methods.
  • MARKET POSITION

  • Founded in 2026, Human Archive is positioned as an innovative player in the robotics data collection space, focusing on multimodal data that enhances embodied intelligence.

  • The collaboration with frontier research teams and robotics companies further solidifies its position as a key contributor to the development of robotics foundation models.
  • PRODUCT AND TECH

    Multimodal Data Collection

    Human Archive specializes in gathering diverse multimodal data, including egocentric RGB video, stereo depth data, and tactile glove data, to create high-fidelity datasets essential for robotics development.

    Custom Hardware Deployment

    The company deploys custom hardware in various environments to capture real-world data, which is crucial for training robotics foundation models capable of operating in diverse settings.

    Data Annotation Pipelines

    Human Archive utilizes internal quality assurance, anonymization, and annotation pipelines to process the collected data, ensuring it is accurately labeled and ready for use in training advanced robotic systems.

    Collaborative Research Partnerships

    By collaborating with frontier research teams and robotics companies, Human Archive provides critical datasets that support the advancement of robotics and embodied intelligence.

    Diverse Industry Applications

    The data collected by Human Archive spans multiple sectors, including residential, hospitality, retail, construction, and agriculture, enabling the development of robots tailored for various real-world applications.

    COMPANY CULTURE

    Values

  • Commitment to innovation in robotics

  • Focus on enhancing human capabilities

  • Collaboration with frontier research teams

  • Emphasis on ethical data collection

  • Drive to increase global abundance through automation
  • Operating Principles

  • Prioritize high-fidelity data collection

  • Foster a culture of creativity and problem-solving

  • Maintain transparency in operations and partnerships

  • Encourage continuous learning and adaptation

  • Support diverse perspectives in team dynamics
  • Benefits

  • Opportunity to work at the forefront of robotics technology

  • Flexible work environment fostering creativity

  • Access to a network of industry leaders and innovators

  • Potential for personal and professional growth

  • Contribution to meaningful projects that impact society
  • Team Cadence

  • Regular team meetings to align on goals

  • Open communication channels for feedback and ideas

  • Collaborative project-based work structure

  • Agile approach to adapting to new challenges

  • Celebrating team achievements and milestones
  • Learning & Growth

  • Opportunities for skill development in data science and robotics

  • Access to mentorship from experienced industry professionals

  • Encouragement to pursue innovative research and projects

  • Participation in workshops and training sessions

  • Support for attending industry conferences and events
  • HIRING SIGNAL

    10
    Open roles right now
    Snapshot via live ATS poll
    Net new roles in the last 90 days
    Available once weekly history accrues
    90-Day VelocityV2 · BACKFILL
    Trend builds weekly as historical rows accrue
    By Function
    Breakdown of open roles
    Operations · 2
    Engineering · 8
    Top Locations
    Where hiring is concentrated
    Remote-eligible postings counted separately
    China
    5
    San Francisco
    3
    India
    1
    Global
    1
    SourcesGreenhouseLeverAshbyWorkableSmartRecruitersRipplingRecruiteeFallback · Wellfound, YC Work-at-a-Startup, careers-page scrape

    KEY COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENTS

    Filter
    4 announcements · ranked by importance
    May 26, 2026FOUNDER PROFILEThis startup is betting India's gig economy can train the world's robots | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com
    Jan 1, 2026FOUNDER PROFILERushil Agarwal | Founder & COO - Human Archive | Forbes Business Councilcouncils.forbes.com
    Jan 1, 2026PRESSHuman Archive: Multimodal data provider for robotics and world modeling | Y Combinatorycombinator.com
    Dec 6, 2025PRESSAI as "Co-founder": GenAI for Entrepreneurshiparxiv.org