Clockwork

Clockwork is a robotics company focused on the beauty industry, providing express manicures through its AI-powered, autonomous nail-painting robots. The company's technology uses 3D imaging and AI to paint nails in under 10 minutes, offering a convenient and affordable alternative to traditional manicures.

The idea for the company originated in late 2018 with co-founders Renuka Apte and Aaron Feldstein, who aimed to solve the problem of time-consuming and expensive beauty services. Apte, the CEO, was a new mother who valued her time and wanted to create an accessible self-care option. The first prototype was tested in August 2019, and the company launched a pop-up shop in San Francisco in May 2021. In February 2025, it was announced that Clockwork was merging with another robot nail company, 10Beauty, and would be shutting down its direct-to-consumer machines. Prior to the merger, the company had raised over $8 million in funding from investors including Initialized Capital and several angel investors such as the co-founders of Instacart and Dropbox.

Clockwork's business model involved placing its robots in high-traffic commercial and retail locations, such as corporate offices, airports, and retail stores like Target. Partners would pay an upfront hardware deployment fee, a monthly fee, and a percentage of the revenue generated from the end-users who paid approximately $10 for the service. The robots use a touchscreen and voice control interface, minimizing human interaction. The company's core mission was to liberate people from mundane tasks through smart automation, with an initial focus on nail care.

Keywords: robotic manicure, beauty robotics, automated beauty services, AI nail painting, express self-care, beauty technology, autonomous systems, computer vision, robotics automation, nail care innovation, retail technology, airport amenities