Leading Robotics Centers Beyond Silicon Valley

𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒕 3 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒁𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒐𝒛𝒆𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔. 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝑺𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒛𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅'𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒑 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒘 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅: 🇨🇭𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 ✅ No FOMO, fewer distractions - you can actually focus on building ✅ Patient capital that understands long R&D cycles   ✅ World-class technical talent from ETH Zurich ✅ Regulatory stability and quality of life 🇺🇸 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐒 • Swiss market is small, European expansion is fragmented • Less risk capital for aggressive scaling • Silicon Valley's network effects are unmatched • More exit opportunities and higher valuations 𝐁𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬: 📊 CHF 2.4B invested in 2024 (down 8.5%) 🤖 Swiss robotics startups raised $250M (record level) 🥇 #1 in Europe for deep tech funding per capita 🏢 My fav startups: mimic Robotics, ANYbotics, Verity, Auterion, Mabylon AG, u-blox, Energy Vault, Daedalean AI, Flyability, SwissDrones, Dufour Aerospace, Meteomatics, Ascento, Voliro, Tethys. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: Switzerland has built something unique - a deep tech ecosystem that prioritizes substance over hype. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝑺𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒐𝒏 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆. For founders working on robotics, biotech, climate tech, or any problem requiring years of R&D before commercialization, Switzerland offers something rare: an environment where you can focus on hard technical problems without pressure for hockey stick growth from day one. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜'𝗺 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆. 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽-𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: https://lnkd.in/gCWQJatA #startups #switzerland #deeptech #robotics #venturecapital #entrepreneurship

#Grok Knows: This morning, I asked it which city was the leader in #Defense #Robotics. Answer: “Based on the information gathered from various sources, Pittsburgh emerges as a leading city for defense robotics for several reasons: - **Academic and Research Hub**: Pittsburgh is home to Carnegie Mellon University, which houses the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) within its Robotics Institute. NREC collaborates extensively with government agencies like DARPA, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the US Army focusing on applying #robotics to real-world problems, including defense applications. - **Industry Concentration**: The city has over 100 companies focusing on robotics and AI, creating a robust ecosystem for innovation in defense robotics. Companies like Aurora, Locomation, and Near Earth Autonomy are at the forefront of autonomous technology, which has direct applications in defense. - **Government Interest and Funding**: There's notable interest from defense sectors, with mentions of how Pittsburgh companies are being tapped for defense contracts, particularly in AI and robotics. This includes examples like KEF Robotics receiving significant funding for navigation solutions for military applications. - **Defense Robotics and Innovation Coalition**: The formation of such coalitions in Pittsburgh underscores the city's strategic importance in defense robotics, aiming to connect local tech with defense needs. - **Historical and Ongoing Projects**: Pittsburgh's involvement in defense robotics isn't just theoretical; it's actively engaged in projects that could lead to deployable defense technologies, leveraging its expertise in #autonomy, #AI, and #robotics. While cities like Boston (with Boston Dynamics) and Detroit (part of the "Robot Belt" for automotive robotics) are significant in broader robotics, Pittsburgh's specific focus on defense robotics, backed by academic research, industry presence, and direct government collaboration, positions it uniquely for defense applications in robotics. Therefore, if you're looking at cities where defense robotics is particularly thriving or where there's a concentration of relevant expertise, infrastructure, and interest, **Pittsburgh stands out as the best city for defense robotics**.” Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) NavalX AFWERX Army Applications Laboratory SOFWERX SpaceWERX ERDCWERX Army Applications Laboratory U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center Doug Beck

When you hear Switzerland, you think cheese, chocolate, and mountains... right? WRONG. After this, you will think... Robotics!🧵 [Take a seat, this will take a while] Greater Zurich Area... The Silicon Valley of Robotics! Over 100 companies can be found in the region. Not only heavyweights like ABB or Staeubli... A full hand of new startups fighting against Europe's irrelevance in deep tech: Forget MIT, CMU or Standford. ETH Zürich it is! A true global robotics leader: ✅#7 in QS 2026 ✅Top 10 in robotics, and ✅3rd worldwide in Automation & Control. With 10+ robotics labs, world-class research, ETH shapes the future of intelligent machines. But here is where it gets interesting 👇 The Swiss godfather(s) of robotics. Roland Siegwart. From founding startups to shaping ETH Zurich’s Autonomous Systems Lab ETH Zürich. He’s trained a generation of roboticists and pushed Europe’s deep tech forward. Not forgetting the Robotic Systems Labs from his protégé, Marco Hutter. LFG! RIVR has announced a $22 million seed funding round led by Jeff Bezos. With a focus on last-mile delivery, their Physical AI-powered wheeled-legged robots will begin deliveries in 2025 with major logistics carriers. Maybe one day, CEO & Co-Founder Marko Bjelonic will answer my DMs... who knows 🤷♂️ You think that number is cute? One of the biggest names is Switzerland: ANYbotics. $50 million Series B. Yes, you read that right. An end-to-end robotic solution to automate industrial inspections. A small but world-class team, spun out of ETH Zurich: mimic They develop scalable AI models for universal robotic manipulation, enabling intuitive automation of the most complex and repetitive tasks: from retail to manufacturing. I believe that learning from human demos requires hardware with human-level dexterity. (stole this quote from co-founder Elvis Nava) And he’s right, we’re getting there. 💪 Swiss components are known worldwide, and Bota Systems AG is no exception. They give robots a true sense of touch with compact, reliable force sensors that make automation safer and more precise, across manufacturing, assembly, and research. Shoutout to my friend & Bota co-founder Klajd Lika! Building autonomous infrastructure for offices, malls & more: Loki Robotics They handle high-contact tasks like toilets and counters. A mix of teleop supervision and end-to-end learning for rapid deployment. Saying hi to co-founder Miks Ozols 👋 Another one: Duatic, founded in 2024 in Zurich. By combining powerful lightweight arms, advanced actuators, and AI-driven control, they deliver next-gen automation to tackle labor shortages and boost productivity. Eris Dhionis Sako & team rock! From Google to Meta, Microsoft, Disney, and OpenAI... Oh, and did I mention RAI Institute (former AI Institute)? They all have offices in Zurich. Everyone wants to be part of it. I think Zurich is one of the best places to build an AI Robotics company in Europe today.

The world's most intelligent robot isn't from Boston Dynamics or Tesla. It's from a German startup you've never heard of. While Silicon Valley makes demo videos, they've quietly secured €1B in orders. How NEURA Robotics is leading the robot revolution from Europe 🧵: Meet Neura Robotics - the German company that's redefining what robots can do. Founded in 2019 by David Reger in Metzingen (near Stuttgart), they've grown from zero to 300+ employees in just 6 years. Their mission? Build robots that can truly COLLABORATE with humans. Most people think "robots" and imagine clunky machines still years away from deployment. But Neura's robots stand in a league of their own. They: • SEE via 3D vision + 500M-parameter AI mapping • FEEL using force-torque sensors in every joint for delicate, adaptive handling • DETECT humans without touching them with advanced IR sensors + AI Partnered with NVIDIA’s Isaac GR00T platform, their humanoid robot taps 10B cloud parameters for unmatched intelligence and real-world adaptability. And the robotics world took notice in January 2025: Neura raised a staggering €120 million Series B round, led by Lingotto Investment Management with Volvo Cars Tech Fund. Their order book hit €1 billion. They're clearly onto something big. But what makes Neura different? While companies like Boston Dynamics focus on making robots that can do backflips... Neura is solving the REAL challenge: making robots that can work alongside humans without extensive programming, safely and intuitively. Their product lineup is already impressive: • MAV: Autonomous vehicle for warehouses • MiPA: Personal assistant robot • LARA: Lightweight agile industrial assistant • MAiRA: The world's first "cognitive" robot But their flagship creation is turning heads worldwide... Meet 4NE-1 (pronounced "For Anyone"), their 1.8-meter tall humanoid robot. Unlike other humanoids that are years from practical use, 4NE-1 can: • Carry 15kg payloads • Move at 3 km/h • Recognize objects and environments • Work safely alongside humans And it's not just a demo model - it WORKS. Neura's guiding principle says it all: "We serve humanity." If Neura succeeds, the implications are massive: • Warehouses become safer, more efficient • Elderly can age in place with robotic assistance • Dangerous jobs get handled by robots, not humans • European tech leadership reasserts itself globally The next milestone? June 2025. That's when Neura plans to launch the next generation of 4NE-1, potentially leapfrogging every humanoid competitor on the planet. And it's being Made in Germany 🇩🇪🇪🇺 Want to stay on top of the European tech & startup scene? 🇪🇺 Every week, I share: • The most exciting startups in Europe • Trends shaping our continental ecosystem • Real stories from founders about what it's like building here Join here: https://lnkd.in/gRfvceWh

Texas is solidifying its place as a leader in robotics, with four dynamic companies securing funding and driving innovation across robotics. Delta Robotics recently raised $30,000 in pre-seed funding, focusing on wearable robotics with a mission to enhance human-machine collaboration. Their cutting-edge exoskeleton technology aims to improve prosthetics, improve mobility in the disabled, practical effects for TV and Film, and are looking at defense-focused capabilities. By offering various applications for their wearable robotics solutions, Delta Robotics is positioning itself to redefine the future of wearable robotics. Their exoskeletons integrate real-time motion sensing and adaptable assistance levels, setting them apart as a key player in industrial robotics. Roboligent, based in Austin, is making significant strides in robot-assisted rehabilitation systems for healthcare. Their technology helps patients recover mobility after injuries or surgeries, offering precision rehabilitation tools that improve outcomes. Roboligent's focus on user-friendly, intuitive robotic systems for physical therapy places them at the forefront of healthcare innovation, helping patients regain independence through robotic-assisted movement. Darkhive is making waves with a $26.1M Series A to advance their autonomous drone technology for defense and surveillance. Known for their modular, lightweight drones, Darkhive is designing solutions that enable rapid deployment in complex environments. Their drones, built for military and emergency response applications, are highly adaptable and scalable, making them a leader in the autonomous systems space. Smooth Ag is leading the way in precision agriculture robotics, helping farmers optimize efficiency and sustainability. Their automated farming systems are designed to enhance productivity, reduce resource usage, and offer scalable solutions that address the growing demand for sustainable farming. As the agricultural landscape becomes more tech-driven, Smooth AG’s innovations are set to transform the sector with their advanced farming robotics. With funding flooding into wearable robotics, healthcare, defense, and agriculture, Texas is emerging as a hotbed for robotics innovation. Each of these companies is pushing boundaries, proving that the future of robotics is incredibly diverse and holds immense potential across industries. If you’re a robotics company looking to scale or find top talent, let’s connect! At Cubiq Recruitment, we specialize in matching cutting-edge companies with the brightest minds in the industry. #FridayFunding #TexasRobotics #WearableRobotics #HealthcareTech #DefenseTech #Agritech #Automation #Innovation #Robotics