The Association for Advancing Automation in Ann Arbor, a leading global advocate for the benefits of automating, has announced a submission call for startup companies in robotics, machine vision, and motion control to participate in the Automate Launch Pad Competition.
The competition will be held during the Automate 2017 Exhibition and Conference, the largest in North America, which will be held in Chicago from April 3-6.
“Investment in the automation and robotics market is rising sharply, with a record 128 companies receiving funding of $1.9 billion in 2016 — which is a 50 percent increase over the previous record-breaking year,” says Jeff Burnstein, president of the Association of Advancing Automation. “The Automate Launch Pad Competition is a great opportunity for innovative young companies to gain some extra funding and garner the attention of key players in the automation industry,” he says.
Call for submissions and application forms for the Launch Pad Competition are now open to all qualifying companies and can be found on the Automate show’s 2017 website. The deadline to apply is February 17. Eligible companies include those in the automation industry that have been founded in the last five years, raised less than $2 million upon creation, and are not affiliated with large companies.
Eight semi-finalists will be invited to join the competition on April 3. All semi-finalists will be provided booth space on the show’s floor, and each company will have three minutes to pitch their tech idea to a panel of automation experts and investors. Over 20,000 automation professionals, investors, and journalists are expected to attend.
The Association for Advancing Automation is the umbrella group for Robotic Industries Association, Advancing Vision + Imaging, and Motion Control and Motor Association. Combined, the associations represent more than 1,000 automation manufacturers, component suppliers, and system integrators from all around the world.
