Anki Defines A New Category Of Entertainment Robotics With Multiple A.I. Products Hitting Top Holiday Sales

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Anki, the consumer robotics and artificial intelligence (A.I.) company, today announced that sales of Cozmo and Anki OVERDRIVE have catapulted the company's products into the category of top four best-selling premium toys ($75+) of the holiday season (October leading up to Christmas), according to The NPD Group. Anki OVERDRIVE introduces a revolutionary gameplay experience that blends the best of video games, toys, and robotics. Cozmo, a tiny bot with a big brain and an even bigger personality, launched in the U.S. in October 2016 to critical acclaim. Anki's deep technical prowess puts the company in a unique position to create unprecedented products that astound the world in ways that traditional toy industry behemoths cannot. Released this week, CB Insights' Artificial Intelligence 100 list also named Anki as one of the top 100 emerging private companies that are making game-changing advancements in artificial intelligence.  

"We're not a toy company but we make the world's best toys," said Boris Sofman, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder, Anki. "From the beginning, we've defined our mission as harnessing robotics and A.I. to create products that push the boundaries of the human experience. This can cross over into multiple industries, break down traditional barriers of interaction, and entertain people in new ways. We're looking forward to 2017 as we continue to expand globally, and further our development and research of transformational technologies that improve the lives of our customers."

"Consumer robotics has been generating a significant amount of buzz for years, but prior to Anki, there hasn't been a clear leader in entertainment robotics," added Mark Bradley, Chief Revenue Officer, Anki. "Our high-quality products combined with our dedication to experience and design, have given us the opportunity to partner with top retailers to envision, create, and advance the entertainment robotics category, which is breathing new life into the toy and consumer robotics sectors. We expect this to be one of the fastest growing consumer product segments in the coming years, and with the strong performance of our products, we are in a great position to lead this explosive growth."

In addition to leveraging the capabilities of robotics and A.I., the development of Anki OVERDRIVE and Cozmo required Anki to form a team of some of the best and most experienced people across a variety of disciplines that have never been brought together, including Ph.D. roboticists, world-class animators, and renowned game developers.  

"The consumer robotics space is constantly flooded with products that over promise on innovation but under deliver on the actual experience," said Craig Rechenmacher, Chief Marketing Officer, Anki. "We have to approach our marketing the same way we approach product development: by paving our own path. It's not just about toys being connected or online that makes them special, it's about creating products that have an extraordinary level of intelligence and emotional interaction that opens people's minds to the world of what's possible. We've proven that with Anki OVERDRIVE and Cozmo."

Additional Product Facts:

• To date, Anki OVERDRIVE fans have driven 3.9 million miles, played 4 million hours, and built 130K different track configurations.
• Cozmo has met over 350K faces since launch.
• Cozmo has been sparked 1.7M times to perform an ability and he has asked to play a game more than 1.9M times.
• Cozmo robots have explored a total of 3.4M sq. ft. of space, which equates to 5.8 times the area of the base of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Source: The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service / $75+ toys / Oct 02 2016 - Dec 31 2016

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About Anki
Anki is harnessing robotics and artificial intelligence to bring to life consumer products with unprecedented level of intellect and interactive capabilities. Founded in 2010 by three Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute graduates, Anki creates consumer experiences using cutting-edge technology that was once confined to robotics labs and research institutes. For more information, visit www.anki.com.

SOURCE Anki

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