Yes, Pittsburgh calls itself the ‘robotics capital of the world’. And places like Silicon Valley and Boston are known for churning out automation-related startups.
But could Atlanta soon be known as a hub for robotics innovation?
Ward Broom, ATDC’s Automation and Robotics Catalyst, told Hypepotamus that Atlanta and the entire State of Georgia is ripe for such robotics growth.
“Multiple robotics and integration companies are headquartered here or have a significant presence, and many Fortune 500 corporations headquartered in Georgia are implementing robotics solutions,” Broom added. “Respected healthcare institutions are collaborating with industry and education to improve healthcare delivery. Finally, major manufacturing companies (especially in EV) are building huge facilities in Georgia which will implement robotics and drive innovation. The City of Atlanta and the State of Georgia have a strong focus on accelerating economic growth by attracting these companies.”
Enterprises like Mujin, Dematic, Exotec, Intuitive Robotics, and ABB Robotics all have large presences in the Metro area. UPS, Home Depot, AGCO, and Chick-Fil-A all have large automation initiatives as well.
Startups are also becoming a bigger part of the local robotics landscape.
Many of those are concentrated inside of ATDC, the state’s business technology incubator, which has a robotics vertical sponsored by Amazon. Tee shirt manufacturing company SoftWear Automation, supply chain-focused startup SlipRobotics, submersible robotics company Marauder Robotics, and hospital-focused startup RIF Robotics are all ATDC graduates or portfolio companies.
Others in the city include Greenzie, an Atlanta Ventures-backed startup building an automated landscaping lawnmower.
There are also up-and-coming startups, like Hello-Robo, working on desktop robots that are looking to transform how humans and robots interact.
Why Robotics Now?
There are also macroeconomic trends driving the robotics industry right now, making it a particularly interesting space for local VCs and founders.
“The labor shortage leads the way and is being driven by an aging population, a younger population which finds traditional jobs unfulfilling, a need to onshore manufacturing due to supply chain challenges, and the need to reduce costs, increase quality and increase productivity,” Broom said. “Healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, supply chain, energy and sustainability are all impacted. Keep in mind that robotics innovation is also fueling new job creation which many will find more fulfilling.”
In general, the robotics industry is growing at a much faster rate now as low code solutions, improved sensors, high speed wireless, and machine learning automation are becoming more widely adopted.
Broom also added that there is a rising demand for “Robots as a Service Solution” (RaaS) from larger companies that is fueling more startup innovation.
Still, there are significant barriers that keep many from entering the robotics industry.
“One of the big challenges is finding the funding needed to attract and support entrepreneurs willing to take the risk on robotics-based startups. Atlanta is traditionally a B2B SaaS startup community. That doesn’t mean successful hardware companies haven’t succeeded, but hardware companies present higher risk for investors,” Broom added. “Another challenge has been the release of IP developed by universities for commercialization. As State funded entities, there have been bureaucratic challenges. However, I have seen firsthand that this is changing. This IP represents huge value to Georgia and its state-funded universities.”
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The featured photo provided by ATDC and was taken at Automating The ATL: Building Atlanta’s Robotics Ecosystem, an all-day summit that took place on August 25th at Tech Square.
