Temi robotics to downsize operation in Israel after shift to China

After receiving a $15 million investment from Joy Capital, a Chinese investment firm, the majority of Temi's operations have been moved over to China.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The Temi features a touchscreen, Amazon’s Alexa technology, a built-in sound system, a tray for charging phones and an autonomous navigation system that allows it to move around on its own while avoiding obstacles. (photo credit: COURTESY ROBOTEMI)
The Temi features a touchscreen, Amazon’s Alexa technology, a built-in sound system, a tray for charging phones and an autonomous navigation system that allows it to move around on its own while avoiding obstacles.
(photo credit: COURTESY ROBOTEMI)
Israeli robotics company Temi Global Ltd. plans to downsize their dealings in Israel, an anonymous source told Calistech.
After receiving a $15 million investment from Joy Capital, a Chinese investment firm, the majority of Temi's operations have been moved over to China.
The company currently employs 70 people, 15 of which are in Israel.
In September 2019, Lior Suchard, a well-known Israeli mentalist, partnered Temi becoming the company's Chief Brand Officer (CBO) - however, he recently left the company after serving them for less than a year.
“In recent months the company’s center of operations has shifted to China since Asia is its main target market. To our regret, the development center in Tel Aviv was downsized to 15 engineers who work on the core development process, while dozens of Chinese developers were recruited to the engineering and sales center in Shenzhen, China to work under the CEO Gal Goren and VP of Engineering head Hed Zamir, both of whom reside in Shenzhen. Likewise, Lior Suchard ended his role as CBO in light of the shift of the operation towards the Chinese market and the focus on sales to the business sector,” a company statement said, according to Calistech.
Temi has made waves deploying their personal robot in hospitals and medical centers amid the coronavirus.
In a bid to minimize person-to-person contact, artificial intelligence-powered devices equipped with thermometers and cameras are taking patients’ vitals and helping doctors diagnose people with the illness from a safe distance. Others are being used to disinfect hospital rooms and even airplanes.
One such machine is the Temi robot. It is three feet tall and features a touchscreen, Amazon’s Alexa technology, a built-in sound system, a tray for charging phones and an autonomous navigation system that allows it to move around on its own while avoiding obstacles.
Billed as the world’s first affordable personal robot (it costs $1,999), Temi is currently operational in a number of sectors, among them healthcare, hospitality, enterprises, retail and education. It was recently listed in TIME Magazine’s 100 Best Inventions of 2019.
So far, hundreds of Temi robots have been drafted for work in hospitals, airports and elderly-care homes. According to Yaron Yoels, the CMO of Temi, the machine is also being put to use in offices throughout China to check arriving employees for fever – one of the most prominent symptoms of COVID-19. If a health issue is detected, Temi directs the employee to a doctor’s office to avoid infecting colleagues.
Maya Margalit/The Media Line, Zachary Keyser and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.