The 10 Coolest Robotics Startups Of 2020 (So Far)

Makers of industrial robots and AI for robotics are featured on our list of notable startups in the sector.

Rise Of The Robots

While robotics has already been a fast-growing area for years, the COVID-19 pandemic has created "a unique opportunity to bring automation to the front line of many businesses and homes," said Stacey Soohoo, research manager for IDC's Customer Insights and Analysis group, in a recent study. "With many organizations turning to next-generation technologies to increase efficiencies while limiting human-to-human contact, we have witnessed the value of autonomous robots and drones in fighting this disease."

For CRN's look at up-and-coming robotics companies, we've rounded up a list of startups with innovations in areas including industrial robotics (such as for warehouses and manufacturing), robots for retail environments, delivery robots and drones. We've also included two developers of next-gen artificial intelligence for robotics.

What follows are CRN's picks for the 10 coolest robotics startups of 2020 so far.

For more of the biggest startups, products and news stories of 2020, click here.

Brain Corp

One robotics technology developer that is reporting major demand in connection with the COVID-19 crisis is Brain Corp. The San Diego-based company is a developer of artificial intelligence used by manufacturers of autonomous mobile robots--and says that these AI-powered robots are finding growing interest in sectors such as retail, healthcare, travel and education. More than 10,000 robots using Brain Corp technology have been deployed so far, including at end customers such as Walmart and Kroger. To help meet the strong demand, Brain Corp raised a $36 million Series D round of funding in April led by SoftBank Vision Fund 1, and including other investors such as Qualcomm Ventures.

Covariant

Another up-and-coming developer of AI for robotics is Covariant, which just launched out of stealth mode in January, before announcing a $40 million Series B round in May. The Berkeley, Calif.-based startup has developed what it calls a "universal AI," dubbed the Covariant Brain, which "enables robots to see, reason and act autonomously in the real world," the company says. The technology is being used to power robotics at customer sites in sectors such as apparel, pharmaceutical and electronics, including in North America. "As the coronavirus crisis has exposed serious frailty in the global supply chain, we're seeing more demand than ever for our AI Robotics solutions," said Peter Chen, CEO and co-founder of Covariant, in a news release.

Fetch Robotics

San Jose, Calif.-based Fetch Robotics is a maker of autonomous mobile robots that are designed to safely operate alongside human workers in manufacturing, fulfillment and distribution centers. The company's robots are differentiated by not needing human guidance or even fixed paths to operate. In March, the company unveiled a new autonomous cart transport solution, the CartConnect500 (pictured). It includes a robotic base along with an attached lift module that can pick up a detachable cart. Also in March, Fetch announced a new integration of its technology with Zebra Technologies' FulfillmentEdge software, for improved automation of warehouse picking processes.

Locus Robotics

Another notable developer of autonomous robotics, Locus Robotics, is also working with Zebra Technologies and seeing strong momentum. The Wilmington, Mass.-based company offers a multi-bot picking system that can safely work alongside human workers, allowing gains in worker productivity that lead to faster order fulfillment, according to the company. In June, Locus announced raising a $40 million Series D round led by Zebra's strategic investment unit, Zebra Ventures. The funding is being used to accelerate the company's market expansion globally, including with reseller partners.

PowerVision

In January, robotics developer PowerVision debuted its latest drone, the PowerEgg X, at CES 2020. The PowerEgg X features an ability to serve as both a high-performance drone and an autonomous camera powered by artificial intelligence. Beijing-based PowerVision, which has U.S. offices in Silicon Valley and Boston, says the modular nature of the PowerEgg X means that it can transform from a drone to a handheld gimbal camera or hands-free device with little effort. At the core of its capabilities is a 4K video camera that can take footage at 60 frames a second and uses smart image recognition to follow people or objects. The device, which is available now in the U.S., also comes with image stabilization and simple video editing tools.

RightHand Robotics

Somerville, Mass.-based RightHand Robotics is a developer of robotic piece-picking solutions for order fulfillment and logistics, with the aim of offering improved efficiency and performance. The company's robotic offerings—which provide advances in both hardware and software—enable picking and placing of individual items, while also being able to work collaboratively with human workers and existing systems. In connection with the coronavirus outbreak, "the volume of both inquiries and customer meetings has increased," said Vince Martinelli, head of product and marketing at RightHand Robotics, in a message to CRN. "We are seeing interest from customers whose current work process is done with human workers standing close to one another. Having robots handle some of that work allows for spacing between the human workers, enhancing safety and complying with social distancing guidelines." Notably, the interest is increasingly coming from C-level executives rather than from supply chain teams, he said. "It's becoming a higher-level strategy consideration as opposed to an operational cost savings measure," Martinelli said.

Robosen Robotics

And now for something completely different: At CES 2020 in January, Robosen Robotics launched the buzzworthy T9 robotic toy. The T9 is basically a real-life, toy-sized Transformer, like the ones from the popular '80s cartoon show turned modern movie franchise. With its humanoid shape, the T9 can tuck in its limbs and transform into a car automatically — just by saying "transform." The toy robot is fully programmable through a visual programming platform, a manual programming platform and a 3D graphics programming platform available for smartphones, making it open to users of all skill levels. Thanks to its 22 programmable servo motors, the robot can also drive, pose, dance and pose, among other actions. It can be controlled remotely through a smartphone app, as well. Robosen, which is based in China and has a U.S. subsidiary in City of Industry, Calif., has been selling the T9 since the robot's debut in January.

Simbe Robotics

San Francisco-based Simbe Robotics is another robotics maker reporting strong interest in its offerings amid the COVID-19 crisis. Simbe is the maker of Tally, a fully autonomous robot for providing retail store inventories. That's become more crucial as the pandemic has created challenges around keeping grocery shelves stocked. Tally has been deployed at more than a dozen international retailers since its launch in 2014, including at sporting goods retailer Decathlon and groceries chain Schnucks. Tally captures and analyzes the quantity and location of store inventory using RFID and computer-vision technology. Along with offering precise inventory audits, Tally provides alerts when items are out of stock or when there is low inventory, as well as details about misplaced products and visual audits of inventory layout.

Soft Robotics

Bedford, Mass.-based Soft Robotics specializes in designing robotics that mimic the human hand for grasping and manipulating items. Major use cases have included food packaging and unstructured bin picking, while key industries have ranged from food and beverage to consumer goods manufacturing to e-commerce supply chains. Soft Robotics is also providing its solutions to e-commerce and retail customers to help address online returns logistics. In January, Soft Robotics raised an oversubscribed $23 million Series B round co-led by Calibrate Ventures and Material Impact, and including other investors such as Honeywell. The funding is being used to "power the next phase of our growth strategy," said Soft Robotics CEO Carl Vause in a news release.

Starship Technologies

For the final robotics startup on our list, we can't forget about the delivery robots. San Francisco-based Starship Technologies has developed autonomous robots that are capable of delivering food, packages and groceries. Starship notes that the wheeled robots can make deliveries within a 4-mile radius--and says that the coronavirus crisis has accelerated the expansion of the droids. "Our robots provide contactless deliveries. As people are spending more time at home at the moment, including the elderly and more vulnerable, getting food and groceries delivered straight to their door is a big help," the company said in a message to CRN. Starship's robots are now operating in five countries--including the U.S., in cities such as Washington, D.C., and Tempe, Ariz.--and have completed more than 100,000 autonomous deliveries while logging more than 500,000 miles, the company told CRN.