sarcos
Sarcos’ Guardian Exoskeleton can lift hundreds of pounds. (Photo via Sarcos).

Sarcos Robotics, a maker of industrial robots, has secured $10.5 million in funding from investors including Microsoft, Caterpillar Ventures, and GE Ventures.

The company announced the funding today, and a company spokesperson confirmed the amount. Sarcos says it will use the funds to grow its team and bring its Guardian line of robotics to market faster.

That line includes several heavy-duty robots that wouldn’t be out of place in a Terminator movie. The Guardian XO “exoskeleton suit,” (pictured right) is particularly imposing — and that’s by design. Sarcos robots are meant to handle dangerous jobs in all kinds of “unstructured environments.”

Beyond the obvious military applications, Sarcos envisions possibilities for the machines in a number of industries, ranging from oil and gas to mining to construction and manufacturing.

Other investors included Cottonwood Technology Fund and two unnamed private investment firms, in addition to the company’s co-founders, CEO Ben Wolff, Dr. Fraser Smith and Dr. Marc Olivier. Wolff was previously co-founder and CEO of wireless company Clearwire.

As part of the investment, former Microsoft CFO Peter Klein, General Partner of Cottonwood Technology fund Ray Quintana, GE Ventures Managing Director Ralph Taylor-Smith, and Seattle-area investor Dennis Weibling are joining the Sarcos board of directors.

Sarcos has offices in Bellevue, Wash. near Microsoft’s Redmond campus, and in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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