MassRobotics Builds Strategic Partnerships with Analog Devices, Honda, Husqvarna, FedEx, Lockheed Martin and More
BOSTON, April 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Robotics is emerging as a key technology among companies large and small, and across myriad industries. As a result, MassRobotics, the global hub of robotics, has increased its strategic partnership relationships, bringing significant companies and organizations into the MassRobotics community. These corporate partners provide strategic guidance, help fund MassRobotics' programming, and fuel the organization's expansion, both for its upcoming expanded Boston co-working space and its growing international presence within the robotics industry.
"Corporate partnerships have been a core part of MassRobotics' unique startup escalation model and have helped attract and scale successful startups over the last few years," said Fady Saad, MassRobotics Co-founder and Director of Partnerships.
New partners represent a range of companies and industries pursuing innovative robotics solutions, and include:
-- Analog Devices: This significant partnership includes the planning and
execution of a major robotics technology challenge focused on Sensor
Fusion and Context Awareness, where robotic systems combine multiple
sensing technologies to gather information about the environment as it
happens. The technology challenge is intended to encourage system
solutions innovation with advanced automation, energy, sensing,
communications, and power management technologies. The partnership also
gives Analog Devices exclusive naming rights to MassRobotics' new
electronics lab in its planned expansion facility.
-- Lockheed Martin: MassRobotics' first strategic partner from the defense
community will further support robotics innovation for challenging
defense applications. In collaboration with LM's venture investment arm,
MassRobotics will continue to build strong links between the robotics
and AI startup community and the defense community. Lockheed Martin is
especially interested in the pipeline of MassRobotics' cluster startups
and excited to introduce companies to LM engineers for a variety of
strategic and investment opportunities in aerospace and defense.
-- FedEx: This key strategic relationship in the supply chain and logistics
industry, coupled with the unparalleled concentration of logistics
robotics companies in the region - Locus, 6Rivers, Vecna Robotics, XYZ
and others - will introduce FedEx technologists to the cutting-edge
technology in the MassRobotics ecosystem and open the doors to future
strategic opportunities.
-- Husqvarna Group: A key international partnership with this major Swedish
outdoor power products manufacturer for green spaces and construction,
Husqvarna Group is the world's largest outdoor robotics company with
close to two million robotic lawn mowers sold. Their offering also
includes chainsaws, trimmers, garden tractors, power cutters, floor
grinders and demolition robots. Through MassRobotics, Husqvarna Group
expands their exploration in robotics and creates opportunities for
ecosystem startups active in this space. Husqvarna Group is already
vested in the Boston's robotics ecosystem through their participation in
Franklin Robotics.
-- Honda Xcelerator: This is MassRobotics' first strategic partnership with
a large automotive player. Working with Honda Xcelerator, a program that
offers funding for rapid prototyping, collaborative workspace and
pairing with Honda mentors for innovators across all funding stages,
MassRobotics and Honda will explore emerging technologies in
manufacturing, robotics, and autonomous driving. The growing startup
cluster in the region is a key magnet for many automotive companies to
get engaged through MassRobotics.
-- Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC): This is the
first-of-its-kind collaboration between a leading clean energy
organization and a robotics organization, and will motivate robotics
startups with specific applications for the clean energy space (e.g.
drones for inspecting solar panels and wind turbines, ground robotics to
perform energy and leakage inspection in tight spaces). It will also
help fuel studies about the impact of massive robot deployments like
self-driving cars, drones, home robots and logistic robots on the
current energy grid and the use of batteries. This collaboration will
host startups at MassRobotics, provide non-diluting grants for
high-performing startups, and engage large, clean energy corporates with
MassRobotics' ecosystem.
-- Additionally, longtime and/or founding partners, including Harmonic
Drive, Panasonic, Locus, Autodesk, SMC, Solidworks and iRobot, have
renewed or extended their partnerships.
MassRobotics' new, larger facility now being designed will be able to support close to 70 startups in the robotics space. The organization's unique "escalator" model allows entrepreneurs and startups to get established, grow and provide meaningful employment for the future workforce, and to provide ongoing value for partner organizations. MassRobotics is shaping the future of robotics and growing its global influence to expand its community to the world.
About MassRobotics
MassRobotics is the result of the collective work of a group of engineers, rocket scientists and entrepreneurs with a shared vision to create a strong, vibrant robotics and IoT ecosystem in Massachusetts. MassRobotics' mission is to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics and connected devices companies by providing entrepreneurs and innovative robotics/automation startups with the workspace and resources they need to develop, prototype, test and commercialize their products and solutions. See www.massrobotics.org for details.
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SOURCE MassRobotics
