What are the properties of successful robot startups?
- iRobot - made enough on military contracts to enter the vacuum business.
- Kiva - new, low-cost approach to warehouse operation. Changed fulfillment industry. Bought by Amazon.
Those are about the only recent startups I can think of that made it.
Startups not doing too well:
- Rethink Robotics - Rod Brooks' startup. Heavy on the hype, light on the profits.
- Abundant Robotics - apple-picking machine. VC financing, yes. Production hardware shipping and being used, no.
In industrial robotics, the successes are all old-line industrial companies - Fanuc, Epson, Comau, ABB, and Foxconn.
- iRobot - made enough on military contracts to enter the vacuum business.
- Kiva - new, low-cost approach to warehouse operation. Changed fulfillment industry. Bought by Amazon.
Those are about the only recent startups I can think of that made it.
Startups not doing too well:
- Rethink Robotics - Rod Brooks' startup. Heavy on the hype, light on the profits.
- Abundant Robotics - apple-picking machine. VC financing, yes. Production hardware shipping and being used, no.
In industrial robotics, the successes are all old-line industrial companies - Fanuc, Epson, Comau, ABB, and Foxconn.