Robotics Factory Accelerate Program opens applications for next cohort

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Robotics companies have an opportunity to obtain up to $100,000 of funding and participate in a six-month program geared toward helping them with getting started and scaling. The Robotics Factory, an initiative dedicated to creating, accelerating, and scaling Pittsburgh-area startups, has opened applications for its Accelerate Program’s second cohort. 

The global robotics market is expected to grow to more than $230 billion by 2030, with key sectors including logistics, healthcare, and agriculture, said the Robotics Factory. Pittsburgh is a global hub for innovation, with more than 140 robotics organizations across 18 vertical markets. The Robotics Factory Accelerate Program aims to foster the next generation of robotics startups in the area. 

“The inaugural cohort of the Robotics Factory included a diverse set of companies tackling a wide array of problems including underwater surveillance, computer vision, cell processing, bicycle safety, and more,” said Ven Raju, president and CEO of Innovation Works, in a release.

“The companies benefited from value-added programming and hands-on support within key areas such as product development, customer discovery, defining and effectuating go-to-market strategy, and fundraising,” he said. “Further, the companies gained access to key networks such as mentor, customer, and investor networks, which are critical in helping to launch and scale a business. ” 

Accelerate Program’s first cohort finds success

Aquatonomy, a startup that specializes in underwater intelligence through autonomous robots, participated in the Robotics Factory’s first cohort. During the program, Aquatonomy validated its target market through extensive customer interviews, site visits, and market research. This led to a successful pilot scheduled for later this year. 

“The Robotics Factory is an ideal accelerator that propels Aquatonomy on our journey,” noted Dr. Xiaoyu Kaess, co-founder of Aquatonomy. “We have learned so much not only through workshops on diverse topics thoughtfully curated and offered by experts, but also through event opportunities made available to us, where we met mentors, investors, customers, media, government officials, and more.”

“The mentors and program staff support us in every way we need without reservation,” she said. “We wouldn’t have made so much progress and built so many meaningful connections in the past six months without the Robotics Factory.”

The Aquatonomy team also made progress in product development while participating in the program. The company successfully built and tested the entire hardware and software systems for its underwater robot. This progress led to a successful product demonstration that highlighted the robot’s abilities to collect data from the depths of an underwater lake floor. 

Other companies in the program’s first cohort include Cell X Technologies, Grasp Robotics, Leaficient, Velo AI, and Voaige. 

Aquatonomy participated in the Robotics Factory Accelerate Program’s first cohort. | Source: Robotics Factory

What to expect in the Robotics Factory Accelerate Program

The Robotics Factory Accelerate Program will span six months. During this time, selected startups will move into the Robotics Factory’s co-working space. They’ll have access to manufacturing and robotics resources, including a production-grade prototype scale shop. Participants will also receive coaching and support tailored to their specific business needs. 

In addition, they will have access to mentorship opportunities with successful robotics executives within the Pittsburgh Robotics Network (PRN). Applications for the second cohort are open through Feb. 29, 2024. 

“Our team provided the inaugural cohort over 500 hours of one-on-one coaching, 18 skill development workshops, and 250 additional hours of coaching from our experienced mentors,” said Kevin Dowling, managing director of the Robotics Factory and Hardware for Innovation Works. “If you area founder looking for business support to build your robotics startup, we are here for you.”

The Robotics Factory is managed by Innovation Works (IW) and supported by the PRN. The program is funded through a $63 million Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant to the Southwestern Pennsylvania New Economy Collaborative.