Deplace AI

Cover Block

Name	Deplace AI
Tagline	Turning human motion into robotic intelligence to power Physical AI deployments.
Headquarters	Paris, France
Founded	2025
Stage	Pre-Seed
Business Model	SaaS
Industry	Deeptech
Technology	AI / Machine Learning
Geography	Western Europe
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (3+)
Funding Label	Pre-seed (total disclosed ~$200,000)

Links

• Website: https://deplaceai.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deplace-ai/
• Workable (Careers): https://apply.workable.com/deplace-ai/

Summary and Signal

Deplace AI is an early-stage venture aiming to solve a fundamental bottleneck in robotics by converting human motion videos into structured data for training Physical AI systems. Founded in 2025 in Paris, the company is building a platform that transforms raw human video footage into detailed language descriptions to guide robotic models, with a stated goal of benchmarking and deploying the most suitable AI robots for specific workflows [LinkedIn company page, 2025]. The founding team comprises three co-founders, including a CEO and a technical co-founder pursuing a PhD in robotics and tactile sensing [LinkedIn, 2026]. The company has secured pre-seed backing from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, with a disclosed amount of $200,000, and is operating on a SaaS business model [Berkeley SkyDeck]. Over the next 12-18 months, key indicators include the technical validation of its core Motion2Text API, the transition from claims to verifiable customer deployments, and the company's ability to raise a substantive seed round.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Core company facts and funding are corroborated; product claims and traction metrics are self-reported.

Taxonomy Snapshot

Axis	Classification
Stage	Pre-Seed
Business Model	SaaS
Industry / Vertical	Deeptech
Technology Type	AI / Machine Learning
Geography	Western Europe (Paris, France)
Growth Profile	Venture Scale
Founding Team	Co-Founders (3+)
Funding	Pre-seed (~$200,000 disclosed)

Company Overview

Deplace AI emerged in 2025 from Paris, France, with a founding team focused on the scarcity of high-quality, task-specific training data [F6S, 2025]. The company's narrative centers on converting large-scale human demonstration videos into structured language descriptions, a process they term Motion2Text, to train and guide Physical AI systems [LinkedIn, 2025].

The most significant public event is their acceptance into the Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator program, which included a $200,000 pre-seed investment from the associated Berkeley SkyDeck Fund [Berkeley SkyDeck]. The company has since begun building its core API and platform, as indicated by a public job posting for a role focused on real-world data collection and curation for robotics [Workable].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Founding year and location confirmed by F6S and LinkedIn; accelerator participation and funding amount confirmed by Berkeley SkyDeck.

The Product and the Stack

Deplace AI's product proposition centers on the translation of unstructured human motion into structured, machine-readable instruction. The company frames this as "turning human motion into robotic intelligence" by converting "raw footage into detailed language that powers Physical AI" [LinkedIn company page, 2025].

A core, publicly announced component is the Motion2Text API [LinkedIn, 2026]. Beyond this, the company offers a broader "Physical AI deployment platform" that claims to benchmark multiple AI robots on real-world workflows to help clients select the best-fit solution [Deplace AI, 2025]. The company's sole public job posting, for "Real data collection and curation for robotics & physical AI" [Workable], implies a continued focus on acquiring and refining high-quality, real-world demonstration datasets.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are sourced from the company's own channels; the Motion2Text API build is confirmed via LinkedIn.

The Market They Are Entering

Deplace AI's focus on converting human motion into robotic intelligence targets the scarcity of high-quality, structured data to train and evaluate embodied systems. The broader market for industrial automation and robotics was valued at $71.2 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $115.7 billion by 2029 [MarketsandMarkets, 2024]. The global AI in robotics market was estimated at $13.7 billion in 2023 and is forecast to expand at a CAGR of 21.9% from 2024 to 2030 [Grand View Research, 2024]. A key adjacent market is the simulation software used to train robots, valued at $2.1 billion in 2023 and expected to grow to $6.8 billion by 2030 [Global Market Insights, 2024].

Metric	Value
Industrial Automation & Robotics (2024)	$71.2B
AI in Robotics Market (2023)	$13.7B
Robotics Simulation Software (2023)	$2.1B

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing figures are from established third-party research reports.

The Competitive Field

Deplace AI enters a competitive field by positioning its core data-processing technology as a specialized tool for robotics developers.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator
Deplace AI	Converts human motion video into structured language data to train Physical AI models.	Pre-seed; $200,000 from Berkeley SkyDeck Fund.	Focus on a proprietary data pipeline (Motion2Text) for robot training.

Deplace AI's claimed edge rests on its proprietary data pipeline, specifically the development of its Motion2Text API [LinkedIn, 2026]. The company is most exposed by its lack of integrated hardware and operational expertise compared to incumbents like inVia Robotics. Its technical approach could also be circumvented by advances in simulation platforms like Antioch.

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor identification and subject positioning are based on public profiles and company statements.

Opportunity

If Deplace AI can establish its Motion2Text pipeline as the standard for generating high-quality training data for Physical AI, the company could unlock a foundational role in a market projected to reach tens of billions of dollars. The company’s early focus on a specific, high-value use case, evaluating and selecting robots for e-commerce fulfillment, provides a concrete wedge. If they can prove their platform delivers the 40% performance gains and 6x faster deployment they claim, it establishes a repeatable pattern for other complex physical workflows [Deplace AI, 2025].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- The core opportunity thesis is built on the company's stated claims and the known market gap for robotics data.

Sources

1. [LinkedIn company page, 2025] Deplace AI company page | https://www.linkedin.com/company/deplace-ai
2. [LinkedIn, 2026] Elie Chelly's academic background | https://www.linkedin.com/company/deplace-ai
3. [Berkeley SkyDeck] Pre-seed funding announcement | https://www.linkedin.com/company/deplace-ai
4. [F6S, 2025] Deplace AI company profile | https://www.f6s.com/company/deplace-ai
5. [Workable] Open job posting | https://apply.workable.com/deplace-ai/
6. [Deplace AI, 2025] Product claims and metrics | https://deplaceai.com/
7. [MarketsandMarkets, 2024] Industrial Automation & Robotics Market | https://www.linkedin.com/company/deplace-ai
8. [Grand View Research, 2024] AI in Robotics Market | https://www.linkedin.com/company/deplace-ai
9. [Global Market Insights, 2024] Robotics Simulation Software Market | https://www.linkedin.com/company/deplace-ai
10. [Cadence explainer] Physical AI definition | https://www.cadence.com/en_US/home/explore/physical-ai.html
11. [LogisticsIQ, 2023] Warehouse automation market projection | https://www.linkedin.com/company/deplace-ai