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Robotics corporations have a chance to acquire as much as $100,000 of funding and take part in a six-month program geared towards serving to them with getting began and scaling. The Robotics Manufacturing facility, an initiative devoted to creating, accelerating, and scaling Pittsburgh-area startups, has opened functions for its Speed up Program’s second cohort.
The worldwide robotics market is anticipated to develop to greater than $230 billion by 2030, with key sectors together with logistics, healthcare, and agriculture, mentioned the Robotics Manufacturing facility. Pittsburgh is a worldwide hub for innovation, with greater than 140 robotics organizations throughout 18 vertical markets. The Robotics Manufacturing facility Speed up Program goals to foster the following technology of robotics startups within the space.
“The inaugural cohort of the Robotics Manufacturing facility included a various set of corporations tackling a wide selection of issues together with underwater surveillance, laptop imaginative and prescient, cell processing, bicycle security, and extra,” mentioned Ven Raju, president and CEO of Innovation Works, in a launch.
“The businesses benefited from value-added programming and hands-on help inside key areas comparable to product growth, buyer discovery, defining and effectuating go-to-market technique, and fundraising,” he mentioned. “Additional, the businesses gained entry to key networks comparable to mentor, buyer, and investor networks, that are crucial in serving to to launch and scale a enterprise. ”
Speed up Program’s first cohort finds success
Aquatonomy, a startup that focuses on underwater intelligence via autonomous robots, participated within the Robotics Manufacturing facility’s first cohort. Through the program, Aquatonomy validated its goal market via in depth buyer interviews, website visits, and market analysis. This led to a profitable pilot scheduled for later this yr.
“The Robotics Manufacturing facility is a perfect accelerator that propels Aquatonomy on our journey,” famous Dr. Xiaoyu Kaess, co-founder of Aquatonomy. “We now have discovered a lot not solely via workshops on various matters thoughtfully curated and provided by consultants, but in addition via occasion alternatives made obtainable to us, the place we met mentors, traders, prospects, media, authorities officers, and extra.”
“The mentors and program workers help us in each approach we’d like with out reservation,” she mentioned. “We wouldn’t have made a lot progress and constructed so many significant connections prior to now six months with out the Robotics Manufacturing facility.”
The Aquatonomy workforce additionally made progress in product growth whereas taking part in this system. The corporate efficiently constructed and examined the complete {hardware} and software program methods for its underwater robotic. This progress led to a profitable product demonstration that highlighted the robotic’s talents to gather knowledge from the depths of an underwater lake ground.
Different corporations in this system’s first cohort embody Cell X Applied sciences, Grasp Robotics, Leaficient, Velo AI, and Voaige.
What to anticipate within the Robotics Manufacturing facility Speed up Program
The Robotics Manufacturing facility Speed up Program will span six months. Throughout this time, chosen startups will transfer into the Robotics Manufacturing facility’s co-working house. They’ll have entry to manufacturing and robotics assets, together with a production-grade prototype scale store. Contributors may even obtain teaching and help tailor-made to their particular enterprise wants.
As well as, they’ll have entry to mentorship alternatives with profitable robotics executives throughout the Pittsburgh Robotics Community (PRN). Purposes for the second cohort are open via Feb. 29, 2024.
“Our workforce offered the inaugural cohort over 500 hours of one-on-one teaching, 18 talent growth workshops, and 250 further hours of teaching from our skilled mentors,” mentioned Kevin Dowling, managing director of the Robotics Manufacturing facility and {Hardware} for Innovation Works. “When you space founder in search of enterprise help to construct your robotics startup, we’re right here for you.”
The Robotics Manufacturing facility is managed by Innovation Works (IW) and supported by the PRN. This system is funded via a $63 million Construct Again Higher Regional Problem grant to the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Financial system Collaborative.