Lyte Emerges from Stealth with $107 Million to Build the Perception Foundation for Physical AI

Lyte, an end-to-end integrated perception company for robotics and Physical AI, led by Alexander Shpunt, Dr. Arman Hajati, and Dr. Yuval Gerson, has emerged from stealth with $107 million in aggregate funding from some of the industry's premier investors, including Avigdor Willenz's group, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Atreides Management, Exor Ventures, Key1 Capital, and Venture Tech Alliance.

Based in Mountain View, California, Lyte was founded by Alexander Shpunt, Arman Hajati, and Yuval Gerson, the team behind Apple’s depth-sensing and perception technologies. Shpunt previously co-founded PrimeSense, whose technology powered Microsoft Kinect and later became the foundation of Apple’s depth platform.

Lyte has assembled a leading team across sensing, silicon, and Physical AI, with semiconductor pioneer Avigdor Willenz serving as founding investor and Chairman.

With the new funding, Lyte is developing a perception foundation for autonomous machines. LyteVision integrates 4D sensing, RGB imaging, and motion awareness into a single platform, delivering unified spatial and visual data for Physical AI systems ranging from robots to robotaxis and humanoids, supported by an AI-driven operating layer designed to scale with advances in intelligence models.

The AI robotics market is projected to reach $125 billion by 2030, yet more than 60% of industrial companies lack the internal capability to implement robotic automation. Lyte addresses this structural gap by replacing fragmented, multi-vendor perception stacks with a vertically integrated system, eliminating lengthy sensor calibration, fusion development, and integration debugging cycles.

According to company leadership and investors, scalable Physical AI depends on robust, system-level perception. CEO and co-founder Alexander Shpunt emphasized that clear, reliable perception is essential for robots to operate safely at scale, a challenge being addressed by a team with deep experience shaping modern human–computer interaction.

Founding investor and Chairman Avigdor Willenz described the effort as a foundational technology play, noting that solving perception as an integrated system is what enables lasting industry-wide impact. Gavin Baker of Atreides Management characterized Lyte’s platform as core infrastructure for Physical AI, highlighting the founders’ track record in 3D sensing and their ability to define the next phase of full-stack, 4D perception.

Lyte’s perception platform was recognized at CES 2026 with a Best of Innovation Award in Robotics and named an Honoree in Vehicle Tech and Advanced Mobility, selected from a record 3,600 submissions. The technology will be showcased at CES through private, by-appointment demonstrations.