5 Robotics Startups to Watch
Get to know a handful of hardware companies in SOSV’s portfolio
From the research lab, to the grocery store, and into your home, robots are already assisting with our everyday life. Many people jump to the question: What impact will this have on the workforce? Some worry that robots will take jobs, while others are certain that robots will create jobs. Increased automation can allow humans to focus on more creative and interpersonal tasks and less on the ones that are mind numbing. The rise of robotics will create higher-value jobs related to programming.
Regardless of your mindset, the robotics industry is expanding and evolving every day. We’ve chosen a few innovations to highlight from within our portfolio of robotics startups.
1. Makeblock
Makeblock allows you to code and create every kind of robot with programmable building blocks that function as sensors, lights, sounds and motors. Their kits are becoming popular in the classroom where kids use Makeblock’s STEM Kits, Tech Kits, and DIY Kits to turn ideas into reality.
2. Avidbots
The autonomous robots developed by Avidbots are already disrupting the commercial cleaning market. By using the floor cleaning robot Neo, cleaning companies and facility operators can save a cost of 50%-70% as the robots automate the most labor and time intensive part of commercial cleaning.
3. Simbe Robotics
Taking inventory is a boring and time consuming task for employees, and the results are not often accurate. For this reason, Simbe Robotics developed the world’s first autonomous inventory tracking robot, Tally, which uses a combination of vision and sense technology to scan items and alert employers as to what’s on and off the shelf in addition to providing other helpful insights on the entire supply chain. Simbe was ranked #3 in the robotics category of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies 2019 by Fast Company.
4. OpenTrons
Automation in laboratories is majorly behind other areas of automation. OpenTrons is an open-source, affordable, easy-to-use pipetting robot that handles reliable liquid transfers for scientists. Hundreds of free protocols have already been developed by and for the OpenTrons community.
5. Carbon Robotics
Carbon Robotics created a highly intelligent robotic arm that automates tasks. The company believes in a world where “Robots do robot work, so people can do people work.” The arm is hackable and trainable. Using computer vision and machine intelligence, people can program tasks in a matter of hours. Beyond that, the platform enables developers to build the next generation of robotic applications. Something else to show off: Carbon named their robot arm KATIA — short for Kick Ass Trainable Intelligent Arm.
Have you encountered any of these robots before? What other robotics companies do you find to be extremely innovative? Let us know in the comments!
