Despite the huge success of “startup escalation” models featuring shared infrastructure, prototyping and strategic capabilities, robotics startups still have a significant challenge to find the right investors especially on the pre-revenue stages. There is a clear funding gap for robotics startups as most VCs have been either focusing on 1) software investment with their standard valuations, rounds sizes, and exit potential outputs/metrics, or 2) biotech/life science opportunities which also have their own established investment metrics and framework. Robotics investment falls, however, falls in between these types, which makes it very hard to find the right investors who understand these two extremes.

In this session, Fady Saad, Co-Founder & Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for MassRobotics will share his experience as the co-founder of the US largest robotics commercialization hub (startup escalator). Information gleaned from exposure to hundreds robotics startups and early/growth investors will be presented, along with a new model for investment in robotics.