The Robot Report Podcast · 13 Feb 2026 · 1h 28m
Mike Weitzman and Gene Demaitre recap the Manifest 2026 tradeshow, highlighting industry consolidation with Symbolic's acquisition of Fox Robotics and Apptronik's $520 million Series A for its Apollo humanoid robot. They discuss the shift toward software and AI, featuring Gather AI's $40 million fundraise and Robust.AI's productivity-focused Carter carts. The episode includes interviews with CEOs from Slip Robotics, Slamcore, Corvus Robotics, Glide Technologies, and Autopallet, covering innovations in cold chain drones, rail-to-road automation, and decoupled payload systems.
early-stage companies, companies scaling up and founders before launch
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Host Chris Luecke recaps the 2024 Robotics Summit in Boston, featuring interviews with Jonathan Hurst of Agility Robotics, Joyce Sidopoulos of MassRobotics, and Scott Sizemore of Electrocraft. The episode explores the commercialization of humanoid robots, the shift from disjointed component sourcing to integrated motion systems, and the role of accelerators in scaling early-stage robotics startups.
Host Chris Luecke interviews Laura Hoffman, Patty Ketseris of Locust Robotics, Matt Charles of Robex, Melanie Weiss of Zebra Technologies, and Alex Ciccaney of A3 at the 2022 Vision Show in Boston. The group discusses the convergence of machine vision and mobile robotics, the shift toward cloud-based automation, and how manufacturing can learn from the repeatability of warehousing. They also cover Robex's acquisition by private equity, Zebra's acquisition of Fetch Robotics, and the growing adoption of AI and vision in non-traditional verticals like medical devices.
Hosts Scott Wilcox and Matt Perrott analyze the Oracle-OpenAI $30B infrastructure deal, Jack Dorsey's BitChat mesh network, and Xiaomi's viral car pre-orders. They review Google's VO3 video generation tool, DJI's 80kg payload drone, and the rapid scaling of humanoid robotics companies like K-Scale Labs and Gentact. The episode concludes with a discussion on AI note-taking tools for personal feedback loops and the hosts' parting wisdom on execution.
Host Chris Luecke and co-host Jake Hall interview leaders from Vecna Robotics, Waypoint Robotics, WiBotic, Fetch Robotics, Dexterity, and FedEx at the 2021 AMRs and Logistics Conference. Daniel Theobald of Vecna Robotics discusses the critical need for AMR interoperability and the role of Mass Robotics in setting standards. Jason Walker of Waypoint Robotics explains the company's acquisition by Locust Robotics and the importance of flexibility in AMR deployment. Ben Waters of WiBotic details wireless charging solutions for diverse fleets, including space applications, while Melonee Wise of Fetch Robotics reflects on her company's acquisition by Zebra Technologies and the evolving safety standards for AMRs. Michael Patrick Perry of Dexterity outlines the stages of autonomous transformation in warehousing, and Aaron Prather of FedEx emphasizes the industry's return to in-person collaboration and the necessity of solving specific customer pain points.
Hosts Matt Perrott and Scott Wilcox discuss signs of an AI market bubble, including Alex Wang's $14B exit from Scale AI and the return of SPACs, while analyzing OpenAI's Sora 2 video model and its integration with Stripe and Shopify for agentic commerce. They explore the rise of generalized robotics through Dyna Robotics, the cost advantages of Tesla's Robotaxi and Gigafactory China, and Jensen Huang's energy arbitrage strategy at Nvidia. The episode concludes with founder advice on hiring, building in public, and maintaining a personal operating system.
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