RoboBusiness, the industry’s leading event focusing on commercial robotics, is set to host a Robotics Startup Boot Camp in Santa Clara, California, on October 18-19. This boot camp is designed to help budding entrepreneurs navigate the often complex world of starting and scaling a robotics company. The challenges in this field are numerous, from transitioning a robot from prototype to production, securing funding, complying with government regulations, to reaching the target audience.
The boot camp will offer invaluable insights into these challenges and provide participants with practical tips to overcome them. Topics to be covered include legal formation, dilutive and non-dilutive investments, intellectual property and patents, manufacturing pathways, accounting, the right time to hire marketing, sales, and HR experts, and strategies for fundraising and exits.
The event will feature five distinguished speakers who will share their experiences working with startups. These speakers are well-versed in various aspects of running a successful business in the field of robotics, electronics, computers, and programming languages.
Drew Fortin, Founder and CEO of Lever Talent, is a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in growth strategy and team-building across various sectors like retail, marketing technology, local media, and HR tech. Fortin’s fascination with the impact of AI, robotics, and Web3 on the employer-employee relationship led him to establish Lever Talent.
Christie Bluhm, the Audit Principal at Clifton Larson Allen (CLA), brings over 20 years of experience in providing accounting, auditing, tax and advisory services to manufacturers, distributors and technology companies. She has comprehensive knowledge of assurance engagements and offers advisory services on financial analysis, business inquiries, buy/sell preparation, and tax planning.
Aaron Capron, a Partner at Finnegan’s Palo Alto office, has more than 18 years of experience counseling clients on prosecution, post-grant considerations, portfolio management, and pre-litigation strategies. He has drafted and overseen the drafting of numerous patent applications for electrical, electronics, telecommunications, and software-based technologies.
Daniel Theobald, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Vecna Robotics, has a long-standing career leading research scientists and engineering teams in developing cutting-edge technology. He has 67 issued patents and over 30 patents pending. Apart from founding Vecna Robotics, Theobald also co-founded MassRobotics and Twisted Fields.
Joyce Sidopoulos, Co-Founder and Chief of Operations at MassRobotics, works on initiatives to expand the robotics ecosystem and develops high-impact programs. In her role, Sidopoulos focuses on highlighting startup technology, matching startups with funders and customers, engaging with robotics adoption, connecting talent to employers and collaborating with academia to commercialize research.
The Robotics Startup Boot Camp is part of a larger RoboBusiness event that will feature over 60 speakers, more than 100 exhibitors and demos on the expo floor, networking receptions, the Pitchfire Robotics Startup Competition and more.
The event will be co-located with the Field Robotics Engineering Forum, focusing on the successful development of robots operating in diverse, outdoor, dynamic environments. DeviceTalks West, the premier industry event for medical technology professionals, will also share the location. Both these events attract engineering and business professionals from a wide range of healthcare and medical technology backgrounds.
RoboBusiness is committed to fostering innovation in the robotics industry. The upcoming Robotics Startup Boot Camp is an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs interested in electronics, computers, programming languages, and coding to gain insights into the industry’s best practices. It promises to be an enriching experience for all attendees.