Last week, Mitsubishi Estate and the City of Yokohama officials visited MassRobotics in Boston to explore collaborative opportunities, highlighting their shared strengths in tech ecosystems and robotics innovation. The visit showcased Yokohama's support for startups, including business matching, subsidies, and live field testing spaces provided by Mitsubishi Estate. MassRobotics and Mitsubishi Estate will continue this collaboration by hosting an event in Yokohama this November, focusing on mobility, green tech, and assistive technology.
We had another successful Women in Robotics Boston Chapter meetup last night. Thank you to our participants and Johnson & Johnson for hosting us. A special shoutout to Manisha Shah-Bugaj, CEO of Activ Surgical, for joining us and sharing her invaluable insights. Your presence made a significant impact and inspired many.
Our community is growing bigger and stronger with each event, and it's truly amazing to witness this progress. Women in Robotics continues to support and connect women in the field, whether in entrepreneurship, industry, or academia. Our initiatives in networking, outreach, education, mentoring, and showcasing inspiring role models are gaining momentum, and we couldn't be happier. Learn more here about MassRobotics women in robotics activities.
HEALTHCARE ROBOTICS STARTUP CATALYST APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN
MassRobotics is now accepting applications for the fourth cohort of the Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst Program 2024-25, in collaboration with Festo, Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Novanta, and MITRE. This initiative aims to accelerate innovation and adoption in the healthcare robotics sector by providing startups with the resources, mentorship, and connections necessary for success.
Realtime Robotics celebrates motion-planning collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric - read more here Realtime Robotics’ Optimization Solution Wins 2024 Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Robotics & Automation (IERA) - read more here
Mesodyne's unique generator transforms diverse fuels into electricity, providing efficient power to servicemembers. With a creative approach, the company has garnered the SXSW Renewable Energy award, a $1.9 million Army XTechPrime contract, a prospective USSOCOM contract, and additional funding from AFSOC. This extra funding bridges the gap between Phase II and Phase III SBIR grants. Read about Mesodyne's latest secured contract of $1.9M here
Flexxbotics announces robot compatibility with SICK Vision Solutions for quality inspection - read more here.
Check out Tom Ryden's participation in "Next-Gen Smart Warehouses: How AI Is Shaping The Modern Supply Chain" - read more here
MASSROBOTICS ALUMNI NEWS
MassRobotics Alumni, Andromeda Robotics raises $3 million seed round to scale humanoid robot Abi - read more here
Square Robot has secured its 6th US patent for "Systems, Methods, and Apparatus For In-Service Tank Inspection." As they scale globally, each patent focuses on aspects of their robotic technology, strengthening and expanding our intellectual property protection, and maximizing their competitive advantage in the tank inspection industry. Learn more about Square Robot here
OPPORTUNITIES
Unpitch Innovation Tour 2024 facilitates connections between early-stage entrepreneurs and seasoned investors. This is a chance to have no-pressure VC lunch meetings, get meaningful feedback and make critical connections. Learn more here
RoboBusiness 2024 Oct 16-17 at Santa Clara Convention Center Use code MASSROBOTICS25 for 25% off when you register!
Enter the Create the Future Design Contest to win $25K. The contest is by the publishers of Tech Briefs magazine to help stimulate and reward engineering innovation. One of the categories is Robotics and Automation. Submit your best new product ideas and technologies here. All entries must be received by July 1 at 11:59 pm EDT. Read more here
ABB Robotics AI Startup Challenge ABB is looking for top-tier startups and scale-ups globally, developing AI technologies compatible with current robotic systems, targeting ease of use, flexibility, and efficiency within diverse industries. Focus on practical, industry-specific applications showcasing AI's impact on robotics. For more information click here
Startup Battlefield 200 TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 is the world’s preeminent startup competition with alumni like Vurb, Trello, Mint, Dropbox, Yammer, Tripit, Redbeacon, Qwiki, Getaround, and Soluto. Startup Battlefield 200 showcases the top 200 startups from around the globe, across multiple industries at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 in San Francisco on October 28-30. Learn more here
The U.S. National Science Foundation launched a pilot initiative for startups and small businesses to develop new products and services based on prior NSF-funded research. Eligible companies can submit one proposal for more than $2 million for a "Fast-Track" award to support research and development activities that may take up to three years to complete. More information about program requirements and submission deadlines can be found in the SBIR/STTR Fast-Track pilot solicitation.
Applications for Endless Frontier Labs (EFL)’s 2024-2025 Cohort are open. EFL is a nine-month program at NYU Stern for early stage science- and technology-based startups. The program admits seed-stage startups from across the world (no NYU affiliation required). At the EFL, participating startups receive mentorship from an elite group of mentors, including successful entrepreneurs, investors, and scientists. EFL is free to all startups and does not take equity from participants. Submit your application by July 31, 2024
WHAT WE ARE READING
Bounce Imaging Releases New TSM®-Enabled 360° Cameras Powered By Trellisware; Part of $11M in New Contracts With DOD - read more here
This humanoid robot can drive cars — sort of - read more here
Amazon Zoox Robotaxi is Nearing Launch—What to Expect From Autonomous Service? - read more here
Understanding the Importance of Robot Interoperability on the Facility Floor - read more hereVecna Robotics’ self-driving forklifts take on 100-year-old workflow - read more here
Vecna Robotics Closes $100 Million in Series C Funding to Streamline and Automate Warehouse Workflows - read more here
Swallow this robot: Endiatx’s tiny pill examines your body with cameras, sensors - read more here
Manchester engineers unlock design for record-breaking robot that could jump over the height of Big Ben - read more here
German robotics industry faces stiff competition from China, VDMA says - read more hereRobotics Startups On The Rise In 2024 - read more here
This smiling robot face made of living skin is absolute nightmare fuel - read more here
