Japan's Dentsu backs US social robot start-up Jibo

Boston-headquartered Jibo was founded by Dr. Cynthia Breazeal, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who specializes in social robotics.

The start-up is named for its flagship product, a social robot that incorporates voice and emotion recognition, natural language processing, machine learning, and expressive display and movement. The robot is designed to offer companionship and build rapport among family members.

In addition to offering capital, Dentsu has said it would support the founders by offering problem-solving solutions and resources to help develop and promote the business.

"Dentsu Ventures believes that Jibo will continue to develop into a new type of medium that will bring fundamental changes to the way information is assimilated, and that it has the potential to function as an infrastructure and communication hub in a smart home," the VC said in a statement.

Dentsu made its investment via its maiden fund - Dentsu Ventures Global Fund I. Dentsu set up its venture arm last April as a way for the company to spur innovation across Dentsu Group through collaboration with its investees.

VC investment in the robotics space is gradually gaining momentum. Companies in Japan and China in particular have been angling to be at the vanguard of the burgeoning industry. In June Alibaba Group and Foxconn Technology Group agreed to invest JPY29 billion ($236 million) in SoftBank Robotics Holding Corp, which manages SoftBank's robotics business.

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