SAIF Autonomy Raises $1.2M with Fusion Fund to Accelerate Trustworthy Embodied AI at Scale

SAIF Autonomy announces the successful close of its $1.2M ( £95k ) pre-seed funding round, led by Palo Alto based VC, Fusion Fund. With industries rapidly embracing AI and robotics, SAIF Autonomy’s novel technology arrives at a vital moment, making them uniquely positioned to address critical safety gaps in autonomous systems. This investment will enable the team to expand operations into the United States while scaling rapidly to set the global standard for trustworthy autonomy.

SAIF Autonomy, a Cambridge Future Tech portfolio company, is redefining safety in physical AI systems through its flagship Autonomy platform. At its core is NEXUS, a real-time guardian for AI-driven systems, monitoring actions and intervening within predefined rules to prevent unsafe behaviour. By addressing gaps in safety and trust, NEXUS ensures embodied AI operates predictably and securely, even in the most unpredictable environments.

Kyle Thomas, CEO and co-founder, SAIF Autonomy said: ‘We are incredibly privileged to have Fusion Fund as our lead investor and are truly humbled by their belief in our vision. This partnership marks an exciting opportunity to expand into the US market and scale globally together. We are deeply committed to redefining safety in autonomous systems, and it’s inspiring to have a partner like Fusion Fund share our confidence in what we’re building.”

Owen Thompson, CEO and co-founder of Cambridge Future Tech, commented: “This funding round is a testament to Kyle and Matt’s vision for SAIF Autonomy and the growing strength of UK grown deep tech. With Fusion Fund’s backing, SAIF is wellpositioned to expand its impact into the US and beyond, solidifying their position as a global leader in AI safety.”

Ryan Taylor, Partner at Fusion Fund, added: “The demand for trustworthy AI systems is growing, and SAIF’s innovative solutions are timed to address this need. We are thrilled to partner with SAIF and Cambridge Future Tech as they pioneer a new era in physical AI assurance.”

With contracts already with The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), The Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre (DAIC), The European Space Agency and Zenzic, and successful deployments on drones and ground vehicles, NEXUS is positioned to transform industries. By enabling rapid certification, reducing development costs by up to 10x, and accelerating time to market, NEXUS allows engineers to focus on innovation rather than navigating compliance hurdles.

“The ChatGPT moment for robotics is coming. Physical AI will revolutionize the $50 trillion manufacturing and logistics industries. Everything that moves, from cars andtrucks to factories and warehouses, will be robotic and embodied by AI.” – Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO

This funding marks the beginning of an exciting growth phase for SAIF, with key priorities
including:

• Talent acquisition: actively recruiting Embedded Systems Engineers, Machine Learning Engineers, and Safety Engineers to support rapid scaling.
• Product development: preparing to launch its MVP with select partners in 2025, showcasing NEXUS as a foundation for safe and scalable AI.
• Future innovations: advancing Forge, a tool for seamless NEXUS deployment across cyber-physical systems, and Prism, which delivers actionable safety insights powered by NEXUS.

  About SAIF Autonomy:
  Enabling trusted autonomy for the benefit of humanity. SAIF Autonomy provides safeguards for both embodied AI and traditional autonomous systems. By ensuring the safety and performance of AI-driven platforms in real time, SAIF makes it possible to deploy AI in safety-critical applications with confidence. Its flagship NEXUS software delivers a modular and configurable Runtime Assurance (RTA) solution, continuously monitoring system behaviour at the edge and preventing unsafe actions before they occur. Designed to enforce regulator-specified safeguards and user-defined constraints, NEXUS ensures compliance across commercial and defence applications.
  By enabling assured, mission-ready autonomy in contested and unpredictable environments, SAIF is setting the standard for trustworthy AI deployment at scale.
  About Cambridge Future Tech:
  Cambridge Future Tech (CFT) founds deep tech ventures. Based in Cambridge, UK, and led by CEO Owen Thompson, it is dedicated to the creation and growth of technologies that never would have existed without early-stage intervention. They work closely with leading UK universities, scientists, and inventors to commercialise scientific discoveries and technological innovations. Recent work has also included industry giants Anglo American plc, Nokia Bell Labs, Cemex Ventures and a partnership with CERN, the home of the Large Hadron Collider.
  For more information about CFT, visit www.camfuturetech.com
  About Fusion Fund:
  Fusion Fund is a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm specializing in early-stage investments in Enterprise AI, Healthcare AI, and Industrial Automation. Since its founding in 2015 by Founding and Managing Partner Lu Zhang, the firm has championed technical and data-driven founders tackling transformative opportunities in AI infrastructure, digital biology, edge computing, space technology, and physical AI.
  Fusion Fund’s team consists of serial entrepreneurs, tech executives, and leading investors with strong industry expertise and first-hand operational experience. The firm is currently investing from its flagship Fund IV, with a total AUM exceeding $450M, backed by major institutional investors and large family offices. Fusion Fund has built a portfolio of category-defining companies with a collective annual revenue exceeding $2.5B, supporting them from inception to scale. As the market evolves, Fusion Fund remains committed to empowering visionary founders with deep technological
  expertise and strategic support, driving innovation that shapes the future.