Forcen is a technology company.
ForceN is a Tier 1 provider of force-torque sensors and sensing intelligence for Surgical, Logistic and Frontier Robotics, offering customizable solutions for complex robotics applications.
Forcen has raised $6.5M across 2 funding rounds.
Forcen has raised $6.5M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Forcen (ForceN) is a Toronto-based deeptech robotics company founded in 2015 that designs and manufactures scalable force/torque sensing systems and edge intelligence for complex, unstructured robotics applications.[1][3][4] It serves world-leading robotics OEMs in surgery, logistics, humanoid robotics, and frontier sectors (space, nuclear, underwater, food/agriculture), solving the critical gap in tactile intelligence to enable safe, superhuman touch feedback amid labor shortages in medicine, warehouses, and manufacturing.[1][2][5] The company's ForceFilm transducer technology provides thin, flexible, customizable sensors with high overload protection, on-board processing, and plug-and-play integration via USB, CAN, EtherCAT, and Ethernet—driving growth through ISO 9001/13485 certification and partnerships with top OEMs.[3][4][5]
Forcen emerged in 2015 from Toronto's tech ecosystem, initially focused on exceeding human-level haptic sensitivity for teleoperated surgical robotics.[3][4] Led by Founder and CEO Robert Brooks, alongside VP of Engineering Albert Chen, VP of Product, Director of R&D, and specialized product leads in surgical and logistics domains, the tight-knit multidisciplinary team drew from University of Toronto's entrepreneurship network.[1][4] Early traction came from developing ultra-robust, thin-film sensors that addressed IoT/Industry 4.0 demands for complex tasks without requiring machine redesigns, evolving from surgical optics-like "touch amplification" to broader applications in logistics and frontier robotics.[1][3][5]
Forcen rides the robotics-AI convergence wave, providing the "missing sense of touch" essential for humanoid, surgical, and logistics robots to handle unstructured tasks amid global labor shortages.[1][2] Timing aligns with Industry 4.0/IoT growth, where edge computing demands prevent machine failures in complex settings—market forces like rising automation in warehouses, precision surgery, and frontier exploration (e.g., space/underwater) favor its robust, scalable sensors.[3][5] As a Tier 1 supplier to leading OEMs, Forcen influences the ecosystem by enabling safer human-robot interaction and accelerating deployment of tactile AI, from University of Toronto spinouts to global manufacturing.[1][2][4]
Forcen is poised to expand as a key enabler in the tactile intelligence stack, with next steps including deeper humanoid/frontier integrations and volume scaling under ISO standards.[4][5] Trends like AI-driven robotics proliferation and labor crises will amplify demand, potentially evolving its role from sensor supplier to full-stack physical intelligence provider. This positions Forcen to transform unstructured robotics, building on its surgical origins to touch every corner of automation.
Forcen has raised $6.5M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Forcen's investors include Archangel Network of Funds, BDC Venture Capital, Gerry Fung, Vishal Rao.
Forcen has raised $6.5M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $6.0M Series A in April 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2024 | $6.0M Series A | Archangel Network of Funds, BDC Venture Capital, Gerry Fung, Vishal Rao | |
| May 1, 2019 | $500K Seed | Archangel Network of Funds, BDC Venture Capital, Vishal Rao |