London Startup's Robots Learn Tasks in 10 Minutes, Not Days

Robots that learn by watching and doing are now working in real factories, slashing the time needed to teach them new tasks from a full day to about 10 minutes.

Reimagine Robotics emerged from stealth mode this week with technology that lets regular workers train robots the same way you'd show a new coworker the ropes. Workers demonstrate a task, watch the robot try it, then correct mistakes on the spot.

"A useful robot should be able to learn from the person doing the work," said Jonathan Scholz, CEO and co-founder of Reimagine Robotics. He previously founded and led Google DeepMind's Applied Robotics team in London for seven years before launching this startup in April 2025 with three former colleagues.

The London and Sydney based company has already put its robots to work in manufacturing facilities. At one plastics business, robots now tend 3D printers overnight, removing print beds, operating latches, and pressing controls. The customer's own team then used the platform to automate washing, curing, and drying without calling in specialists.

In another deployment, Reimagine worked with engineers to create a three-robot cell that disassembles hard drives to recover valuable materials. The setup combines robots and human workers to optimize the workflow in real time.

Why This Inspires

This technology flips the traditional robot automation story on its head. Instead of replacing workers or requiring expensive programmers every time something changes, it puts the power in the hands of the people who know the work best.

"Instead of someone having to repeat a tedious physical task thousands of times, they can teach the robot, and apply that ability wherever it is needed," Scholz explained. Workers identify bottlenecks, show robots how to help, and correct them until they're useful.

The approach treats robots more like tools that amplify human labor rather than replacements for it. People remain central to the process, using their expertise to direct robotic assistance where it matters most.

Backed by pre-seed funding from Fly Ventures, firstminute capital, and angel investors, Reimagine is now preparing for its next funding round. The team plans to expand deployments and prove that each installation makes the next one faster and more efficient.