Karthee Madasamy, founder and managing partner of Mobile Foundation Ventures, Sherwin Prior, director of Amazon’s Industrial Innovation Fund, and Fady Saad, founder and general partner of Cybernetix Ventures, to discuss the state of robotics investment.
Inside the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards
Each year, the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards program receives more nominations than can fit in the annual list. This year, the final selection reflects more rigorous judging criteria, current technological and business trends in robotics, and the world. Since companies of different sizes build robots for widely differing applications, it is difficult to compare them…
Warehouse Automation: Mapping Your Maturity and Next Steps
Learn how warehouse automation will benefit your organization and how to take your automation journey to the next level.
Blickfeld ramping up LiDAR production with Series A funding
Blickfeld, a Munich-based startup developing LiDAR sensors for a variety of applications, including autonomous vehicles, has closed a Series A financing round. The amount of the Series A has yet to be disclosed, but it was led by the venture capital unit of Continental together with Wachstumsfonds Bayern. Blickfeld’s existing investors, Fluxunit – OSRAM Ventures,…
ReWalk Finalizes Exoskeleton Coverage Deal With German Health Insurers
Exoskeleton companies have long been working with healthcare coverage providers to develop general coverage policies for exoskeletons. But many providers still look at exoskeletons on a case-by-case basis. ReWalk Robotics, a developer of medical exoskeletons for individuals with lower limb disabilities, said it is making some progress with a group of German statutory health insurers…
Silicon Valley Robotics joins RoboBusiness as strategic partner
CLEVELAND and BOSTON – March 5, 2020 – Business-to-business publisher WTWH Media announced that Silicon Valley Robotics will serve as the exclusive strategic partner for RoboBusiness, which takes place June 23-24, 2020, at the San Jose Convention Center. RoboBusiness is a conference and expo focused on uncovering new opportunities for companies developing or using robotics…
Marine robotics maker Hydroid acquired for $350M
Hydroid, a developer of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) for the defense and maritime markets, is being acquired by shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) for $350 million. The acquisition is subject to regulatory review and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020. Pocasset, Mass.-based Hydroid will become part of HII’s Technical Solutions division.…
Universal Robots, MiR to create $36M cobot hub in Denmark
New 50,000-square-meter facility will become joint headquarters for Denmark-based cobot companies.
Chinese LiDAR maker Hesai raises $173M
Company claims investment round the largest in China’s LiDAR sector.
10 Best Robots of CES 2018
Self-driving cars were the talk of Las Vegas during CES 2018. We recap the 10 best robots seen at CES.
InnovizPro LiDAR for Self-Driving Car Developers Launching at CES
Self-driving cars are a major draw at CES 2018, and InnovizPro is offering its lidar platform to developers. The Israeli company’s partners are giving rides at the show.
Robot Investments Weekly: AImotive Raises $38M for Autonomous Driving
In this Robot Investments Weekly, we look at the latest transactions and investments around self-driving cars, industrial automation, and manufacturing of consumer goods.
Aptiv, Lyft Give Self-Driving Taxi Rides During CES 2018
Aptiv and Lyft have teamed up to give CES 2018 attendees self-driving taxi rides to 20 pre-programmed destinations throughout Las Vegas. A fleet of eight Aptiv BMW 5 Series sedans will shuttle passengers around Jan. 9-12.
Roomba Will Help Clean up Your Home’s Weak Wi-Fi
iRobot’s top-tier Roomba robot vacuums will soon be able to sweep your home for weak WiFi signals, logging spotty areas and helping users improve their WiFi.
10 Most Memorable Robots of 2017
When we look back on 2017, we’ll remember a back-flipping robot, the arrival of social robots, brain-controlled robots, major developments for autonomous vehicles, the rise of mobile manipulators, and a certain security robot that drove into a water fountain.
Social Robot Maker Jibo Focusing on Content After Layoffs
Social robot maker Jibo has laid off staffers in an effort to reorganize around content now that the basic hardware is developed and available to consumers.
Robot Investments Weekly: Companies Raise $126M
Welcome to “Robot Investments Weekly,” a new feature on Robotics Business Review that every Friday recaps the week that was in acquisitions, funding, IPOs and mergers and acquisitions in the robotics industry. For more information about investing in robotics, RBR members can access our Transactions Database that keeps you updated on the key mergers and…
AI Conference Brings Current Trends, Apps to CES 2018
Robotics Trends’ AI conference at CES 2018 examines recent developments, current applications, and concerns about AI. Hear leading AI experts discuss the reality behind the hype and how AI will impact our everyday lives.
Vecna Tote Retrieval System Wins Mobile Picking Robot Challenge
Vecna Robotics, which won the DHL and Dell mobile picking challenge in Germany, entered a different robot from most of its competitors. See how Vecna over-designed its Tote Retrieval System to be ready for market soon.
Komatsu Implementing NVIDIA’s AI on Construction Sites
Komatsu, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of heavy equipment for construction and mining, has teamed up with RBR50 company NVIDIA to add artificial intelligence (AI) to its construction sites across Japan for increased safety and efficiency. The partnership, announced by NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang at GTC Japan, will use NVIDIA’s GPUs to…
Robot Investments Weekly: 8 Companies Raise $90M
Welcome to “Robot Investments Weekly,” a new feature on Robotics Business Review that every Friday recaps the week that was in acquisitions, funding, IPOs and mergers and acquisitions in the robotics industry. For more information about investing in robotics, RBR members can access our Transactions Database that keeps you updated on the key mergers and…
FORPHEUS AI Ping-Pong Robot Coaches Humans at CES 2018
Omron will be making its first appearance at CES 2018 and will be bringing its FORPHEUS table-tennis training robot. In addition, check out the AI conference within the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Fetch Robotics Raises $25M for Mobile Robots, Fleet Management
Fetch Robotics, which provides mobile and pick-and-place robots for supply chain operations, has raised funds for expansion. The company has also developed its FetchCore fleet management platform.
Ocado’s New Grocery Robot Can Pick, Pack 50,000 Items
Ocado Technology, the research division of online grocer Ocado Group Ltd., is no stranger to robotic grippers and grasping techniques. Ocado has been working with European partners to develop soft manipulators, including SoMa, to help fulfill orders in its e-commerce fulfillment centers. One of Ocado’s main goals is to develop a robot that can reliably…
Realtime Robotics Raises $2M in Seed Funding
Realtime Robotics, a Boston, Mass.-based startup focusing on speeding up the time a robot takes to make decisions, has secured $2 million in seed funding. Key investors in the seed round include SPARX Group Ltd., Scrum Ventures, and Toyota AI Ventures, a venture capital subsidiary of Toyota Research Institute (TRI). Realtime, founded in March 2016…