Robotics is capital intensive and doesn't scale the way a software startup does. It's akin to starting a new car company but for a product category that has not yet been successful in the market - very risky. Then combine this with inevitable competition from China, who has dominated recent robotics-adjacent consumer product categories: drones and robot vacuums. I don't blame investors/founders for being hesitant.

Edit: Oh yeah, and then there's safety/liability. A robot capable of doing laundry is also capable of breaking your finger(s) or poking your eye out. Just imagine the TikTok "challenges" kids would come up with interacting with such a device.