Colin Angle, one of the co-founders of iRobot, the company behind the popular Roomba vacuum cleaning robots, is raising capital for a new home robotics venture called Familiar Machines & Magic. According to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company is seeking to raise $30 million, with $15 million already secured from a group of eight investors.

The filing, known as a Form D, does not disclose the names of the investors. Familiar Machines & Magic has a registered domain name, but its website is not yet functional. Angle did not respond to a request for comment via LinkedIn.

In a recent interview with The Boston Globe, Angle revealed that Familiar Machines & Magic, which is based in Boston with plans to establish a presence in Los Angeles, aims to develop a new type of home robot focused on health and wellness. The company's co-founders include former iRobot CTO Chris Jones and iRobot alumnus Ira Renfrew, who was also involved in the development of Amazon's now-defunct Scout delivery bot.

According to The Globe, citing an investor, Familiar Machines & Magic is exploring the concept of robots as companions, potentially including AI-powered "furry pets." The company is currently hiring AI researchers and software engineers, among other roles, to support its mission.

A job description on LinkedIn provides further insight into the company's vision, stating that Familiar Machines & Magic is "pioneering an exciting new category of home robot in the health and wellness space with a significant focus on human-robot interaction." The description also highlights the importance of "embodied and agentic AI" in the company's product vision.

Angle's decision to launch a new home robotics venture comes after he stepped down from iRobot in January, following the collapse of Amazon's bid to acquire the company due to opposition from EU antitrust regulators. iRobot was subsequently forced to lay off 31% of its staff, and Gary Cohen, a former Procter & Gamble general manager, was appointed as the company's new CEO.

This is not Angle's first foray into home robots. In the early 2000s, iRobot developed a prototype home companion robot called Grommet, as reported by The Globe.

Despite the challenges faced by previous home robotics startups, Angle's new venture has sparked interest in the industry. The home robotics market has proven to be a tough nut to crack, with several high-profile failures in recent years, including Bosch-backed Mayfield Robotics, tabletop robot creator Jibo, Anki, and Moxie, which shut down last week.

However, tech giants like Amazon and Apple continue to explore opportunities in the home robotics space. Amazon is still trying to find a fit for its Astro home robot, while Apple is reportedly working on home robotics projects.

With Familiar Machines & Magic, Angle is poised to take on the challenge of cracking the code in the home robotics market. While it's too early to predict the company's success, Angle's experience and expertise in the field make him a strong contender to achieve what others have not.