Sure the latest initiatives from the Teslas, Apples and Googles of the industry tend to dominate the tech news space — and with good reason. Still, the tech titans aren’t the only ones bringing innovation to the sector.
In an effort to highlight up-and-coming startups, Built In launched The Future 5 across 11 major U.S. tech hubs. Each quarter, we will feature five tech startups, nonprofits or entrepreneurs in each of these hubs who just might be working on the next big thing. You can check out last quarter’s San Francisco round-up here.
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Robots are doing more than just fulfilling shipment orders these days, they’re also doing manicures. That’s right. San Francisco-based startup Clockwork is providing people with fresh nails via its proprietary robotic manicurists.
The idea for Clockwork began at the end of 2018 when co-founder and CEO Renuka Apte set out to solve a pain point she was struggling with: time-consuming and expensive beauty services. The first Clockwork prototype was tested in August of 2019 but it wasn’t until May of 2021 when Apte and her co-founder Aaron Feldstein launched a pop-up shop in San Francisco.
While the average manicure may take up to an hour, Clockwork’s AI-enabled robots can get everything done in less than 10 minutes, according to the company. The cost of a Clockwork manicure is competitive as well. While the average manicure costs anywhere upwards of $35, a Clockwork set will cost you $8 to $10.
“As a new mom to a toddler, I believe that time is my luxury. Being able to give people the time to do what they love instead of what they have to is exactly what we set out to achieve with Clockwork,” Apte told Built In via email. “We wanted to create an accessible and affordable option for women to get a quality service, without having to spend a bunch of time and money.”
Being able to give people the time to do what they love instead of what they have to is exactly what we set out to achieve with Clockwork.”
Clockwork’s AI model can identify the shape of each nail and paint each one with sub-millimeter accuracy, Apte said. The customer’s only human interaction occurs when they are greeted by an attendant who walks them through the process. After that, users interact with the machine through a touchscreen and voice control interface.
“Our robot uses patented hardware and software which was developed in-house, and is the first of its kind to be deployed in public,” Apte said.
The promising young startup’s tech has already taken off. Clockwork machines are currently available in a select few Targets in California, Texas, New York and Minnesota.
But Clockwork’s reach doesn’t stop there. The startup hopes to expand into other beauty services, such as hair and pedicures, Apte said.
“Our core mission is to provide new and exciting ways for on-the-go beauty enthusiasts to indulge in self-care, so we hope to find additional retail partners that align with this mission,” Apte said.
Clockwork currently has six full-time employees and some other hourly workers but plans to hire additional engineers and marketing professionals in the coming months. The startup has raised $3 million in a seed round and is backed by angel investors like Instacart co-founder Max Mullen, Manicube founder Elizabeth Whitman and others.
