Jean-Baptiste Kempf, best known as the lead developer behind VLC Media Player, is now turning his attention to a fast-emerging frontier: remote control for robots and drones. His Paris-based startup, Kyber, is building an infrastructure layer designed to move video, audio, sensor data, and control signals in real time with very low latency.
The company's software development kit is aimed at a world where machines operate across distance, but still need instant coordination. Kempf says the platform is built for situations where the operator, the computing power, and the physical action are all in different places.
That vision has attracted fresh momentum. Kyber recently secured a $5 million funding round led by Lightspeed, a firm that has also supported major AI companies. The investment reflects growing interest in physical AI, where software intelligence is paired with real-world systems.
Kyber's roots are in streaming technology and IoT optimization, which gives it an edge in reducing delay and adapting performance to different devices at scale. Kempf says speed is essential when controlling anything in the physical world, because even a millisecond can matter.
The startup is already positioning itself for multiple markets, including robotics, drones, and remote IT access. It operates with a core open-source model alongside enterprise services, and it also provides hands-on deployment support for customers. With teams in Paris, San Francisco, and Singapore, Kyber is preparing for global demand across industries.
As robotics and AI systems become more distributed, platforms like Kyber could help define how humans supervise machines across distance. The next wave of intelligent infrastructure may make remote control faster, broader, and far more scalable.