RoboBusiness 2015 kicked off today at the San Jose Convention Center, bringing together more than 2,000 attendees from more than 20 countries.
The most popular feature of RoboBusiness is Pitchfire – the “Shark Tank” of robotics – a fast-paced event where 16 startups compete for $5,000, business coaching and much more. Each startup has two minutes to deliver their best elevator pitch in front of a live panel of venture capitalist judges and a packed room of attendees.
The 2014 Pitchfire winner, nLink, makes the world’s first Mobile Drilling Robot, which the judges agreed is a truly disruptive technology that will relieve construction workers from overhead work involved with measuring and drilling in concrete ceilings. Since RoboBusiness, nLink has acquired an industry partner and introduced its first commercial product this quarter.
So, which company will win bragging rights tonight? The 16 entrants come from numerous vertical markets, including consumer, rehabilitation, waste management, drones, and each brings something unique to the table. We’ve rounded up the finalists to give you a sneak peek into some of the up-and-coming robots that are looking to change the world.