Intel Spins Off RealSense to Scale 3D Stereoscopic Imaging Technology

After 14 years as an internal division of Intel, RealSense is embarking on an independent journey.

RealSense specializes in cameras that utilize stereoscopic imaging — a process that merges two images of an object from different perspectives to create a depth map, enhanced by infrared light. This technology enables robots, drones, and autonomous vehicles to gain a more precise understanding of their physical environment. It is also widely used for facial recognition.

"The common thread among all our applications is that they operate in the real, physical world," CEO Nadav Orbach explained to TechCrunch. "They need to comprehend their surroundings in three dimensions and plan actions accordingly. For that, a real-time, high-accuracy, 3D perception capability is essential. That’s precisely where we excel."

Orbach began his career at Intel in 2006 as a CPU architect in Israel. He started focusing on vision technology in 2011, later becoming the general manager for incubation and disruptive innovation in 2022 before relocating to San Francisco last year.

"We recognized early on that 3D perception would be transformative," Orbach remarked regarding RealSense's beginnings. "To be honest, the specific applications were not entirely clear. We explored various market segments, from gesture recognition for computers and phones, before ultimately finding our strongest fit in robotics over the years."

The company also serves numerous industries beyond robotics. Orbach noted inquiries from fish farms seeking to monitor volume within pens. In a partnership with AI restaurant software firm PreciTaste, Chipotle has implemented RealSense cameras to detect when food supplies are running low.

With over 3,000 customers, RealSense has experienced a significant increase in interest over the last three to four years, fueled by advancements in AI. This has led to substantial scaling, particularly in robotics applications.

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Orbach stated the company realized it could better meet growing demand and scale its operations by spinning out from Intel and securing its own funding.

Plans for the spinout were formulated last year and received approval from then-Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. Now an independent entity, RealSense has raised a $50 million Series A funding round from Intel Capital and other strategic investors to launch its standalone journey.

"For me, it was honestly thrilling," Orbach shared. "As a veteran executive within the company, this was my first time on the other side of the table. Raising capital as a first-time CEO was a profoundly humbling experience."

The newly raised capital will be directed toward expanding RealSense's go-to-market team and enhancing its core technology. A key focus is advancing safety features for human-robot interaction and improving access control systems.

"There’s certainly a learning curve to stepping out on our own," Orbach acknowledged. "I am incredibly excited. I'm fortunate to lead a strong team with considerable entrepreneurial experience. Combining my background with these capable teammates gives us the right mix for success. For me, this is a dream coming true."