Last week there was news that Robotics startup Anki was joining the list of failed consumer robot companies. The San Francisco-based Anki had picked an unconventional route towards building artificial intelligence robots for the home by designing advanced technologies into small toys.

The startup was aiming to

Bring objects to life through robotics and artificial intelligence, allowing people to build relationships with technology that feel a little more human.

The startup was founded by roboticists from Carnegie Mellon University, and had generated a lot of buzz : its first product, Anki Drive, was prominently featured onstage in a demo at an Apple event in 2013.

It’s a tough time for the consumer robotics sector, with other companies like Jibo having had to shut down recently.  The news was first reported by Theodore Schleifer in reCode

The company said in a statement to Recode that it was left “without significant funding to support a hardware and software business and bridge to our long-term product roadmap.”

“Despite our past successes, we pursued every financial avenue to fund our future product development and expand on our platforms,” a company spokesperson said. “A significant financial deal at a late stage fell through with a strategic investor and we were not able to reach an agreement. We’re doing our best to take care of every single employee and their families, and our management team continues to explore all options available.”