AI robotics software company Breaker secures $2m in pre-seed funding round

Breaker, a Sydney-based company focusing on developing AI-powered autonomous robots, has secured $2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by deep tech investment fund Main Sequence.

Founded in 2023 by Matthew Buffa, Michael Irwin and Vanja Videnovic through the UNSW Founders Defence 10X program, Beaker develops AI-powered software that enables robots to act, adapt and communicate like humans. Its technology allows a single operator to control up to 100 systems simultaneously.

The latest capital injection will help Beaker triple its team over the next six months and further expand its footprint in the US to meet demand.

“True autonomy isn’t just about building better individual robots, but about making them work together - and work seamlessly with humans,” says Baffa.

“We believe that the future of robotics isn’t more hardware, it is smarter software that enables machines to collaborate and adapt dynamically, just like people do.”

Breaker has also secured multiple strategic industry partnerships to advance its autonomous technology, including US-based SensorOps to improve autonomous defence applications and Slovakia-based deep tech Airvolute to integrate its AI agent into advanced drone platforms.

Back home, the company has partnered with the Australian Institute of Machine Learning (AIML) to drive AI research in intelligent and adaptative robotics.  

The company has opened its US office in Austin, Texas, and has begun working with US defence customers to offer its AI-drive technology. Breaker also has plans to scale its offering across industries like critical infrastructure security, search and rescue, farming and mining.

“Autonomous systems in defence often fall short - frontline operators still micromanage robots, making them more of a liability than an asset,” says Baffa.

“Meanwhile, Australia’s defence forces face a different challenge: smaller-scale operations and limited resources. Autonomy must be trusted, adaptable and seamlessly integrated into human teams. By advancing AI-driven collaboration, we’re shaping the future of human-machine teaming.”

The news comes two months since Main Sequence also led the funding round for sustainable mining tech startup ElectraLith, which raised $27.5 million. Other investments include Adelaide space telco Myriota, energy tech startup MGA Thermal and quantum computing group Q-CTRL.

“Today’s ‘autonomous’ systems still rely on bulky equipment, hard coded instructions and skilled operators, limiting their scalability, adaptability and ROI,” says Main Sequence partner Mike Zimmerman.

“By combining generative AI with robotics, Breaker adds a step change in intelligence to these systems and delivers enormous advantages in utility while democratising access to these systems. We see this ‘Physical AI’ as the next wave of what’s possible for autonomy.”