Robohub.org
 

Four interesting robotic investments


by
09 February 2014



share this:
Robonaut-w-outstretched-arm_560_413_80_s_c1

Microsoft is betting $5.57 million on IT-related projects at two Swiss universities; James Dyson is putting $8.21 million into a London college lab; Ekso Bionics went public with a $20 million IPO; and a Schaft co-founder sets up new $19 million investment fund.

Dyson:

Dyson, best known for his non-robotic vacuum cleaners, was critical of the sale of London-based DeepMind to Google, and, as a consequence, is investing $8.21 million into a new lab at Imperial College London. His investment and the new lab will hire up to 15 scientists to work on developing robot vision systems that could be used in devices such as robot-controlled vacuums and other next generation “intelligent domestic robots.”

Dyson was critical of the decision by the two-year-old company to sell itself. “It seems a pity to me to sell out, as I don't quite understand the urge to give up,” Dyson told the Guardian. “Long-term thinking is essential to new technology. We should be encouraging UK companies to invest in R&D and take on armies of engineers so that they can grow and become UK world-beaters.”

Dyson established his company in 1985, and it now employs 3,100 people worldwide and had a turnover of £1.1bn in 2012.

Microsoft:

Less exciting or competitive is Microsofts renewal of its collaboration with EPFL and ETH Zurich by providing $1.1 million per year for 5 years in funding for IT-related research projects at the two universities. One of those projects involves studying the interaction between people and computers and flying robots.

Ekso Bionics:

In an alternative public offering, Ekso Bionics, a Delaware corporation headquartered in Richmond, California became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ekso Bionics Holdings, a Nevada corporation. The new holding company changed its name from PN Med Group which was listed on the over-the-counter stock exchange as EKSO. Simultaneously the new company completed a $20.6 million private placement. 

I asked the media people at Ekso why so little money? And why so little publicity – just a single press release? No answers to date. The press release didn’t even mention the other exoskeleton products they make, particularly HULC, which they are doing with an aerospace/defense contractor.

246 Capital:

Takashi Kato, a co-founder of Schaft, the Tokyo University spin-off robot company acquired by Google last November, was instrumental in getting funding for Schaft. During that process he concluded that there are “a slew of intelligent scientists and engineers out there in Japan, thirsty for money to develop next-generation technologies that could make our lives easier.” 

His new fund, 246 Capital, has opened and is raising $19 million to focus on robotics, biotechnology and energy efficiency.

“I want to invest in technologies hiding in Japanese college- and government-supported labs and startups,” said Kato. “They could some day surprise big firms such as Google, like Schaft did.”

Sources:

The Guardian

Ekso press release

Bloomberg Global Tech



tags:


Frank Tobe is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report, and is also a panel member for Robohub's Robotics by Invitation series.
Frank Tobe is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report, and is also a panel member for Robohub's Robotics by Invitation series.





Related posts :



Robot Talk Episode 108 – Giving robots the sense of touch, with Anuradha Ranasinghe

  07 Feb 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Anuradha Ranasinghe from Liverpool Hope University about haptic sensors for wearable tech and robotics.

Robot Talk Episode 107 – Animal-inspired robot movement, with Robert Siddall

  31 Jan 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Robert Siddall from the University of Surrey about novel robot designs inspired by the way real animals move.

Robot Talk Episode 106 – The future of intelligent systems, with Didem Gurdur Broo

  24 Jan 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Didem Gurdur Broo from Uppsala University about how to shape the future of robotics, autonomous vehicles, and industrial automation.

Robot Talk Episode 105 – Working with robots in industry, with Gianmarco Pisanelli 

  17 Jan 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Gianmarco Pisanelli from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre about how to promote the safe and intuitive use of robots in manufacturing.

Robot Talk Episode 104 – Robot swarms inspired by nature, with Kirstin Petersen

  10 Jan 2025
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Kirstin Petersen from Cornell University about how robots can work together to achieve complex behaviours.

Robot Talk Episode 103 – Delivering medicine by drone, with Keenan Wyrobek

  20 Dec 2024
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Keenan Wyrobek from Zipline about drones for delivering life-saving medicine to remote locations.

Robot Talk Episode 102 – Soft robots inspired by plants, with Isabella Fiorello

  13 Dec 2024
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Isabella Fiorello from the University of Freiburg about bioinspired living materials for soft robotics.

Robot Talk Episode 101 – Microscopic surgical robots, with Christos Bergeles

  06 Dec 2024
In the latest episode of the Robot Talk podcast, Claire chatted to Christos Bergeles from King's College London about micro-surgical robots to deliver therapies deep inside the body.





Robohub is supported by:




Would you like to learn how to tell impactful stories about your robot or AI system?


scicomm
training the next generation of science communicators in robotics & AI


©2024 - Association for the Understanding of Artificial Intelligence


 












©2021 - ROBOTS Association