Next newsletter I’ll share more information about the robotics companies and startups exhibiting and demoing at ICRA - and some other interesting events - hopefully also sharing the recording of Tessa Lau’s amazing plenary session on what building a robotics company really involves.

The Initial Findings from the IEEE RAS Humanoids Standards Study Group, chaired by Aaron Prather of ASTM - Full Report coming soon!

I Bought a Robot Cat for My Rabbit — and Fell Into the Weird World of Animal-Robot Research - by Ericka Johnson - The MIT PRESS Reader

from “How That Robot made Me Feel” edited by Ericka Johnson - Open Access

COMMUNITY NEWS

Ready to build something massive?

Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is now accepting applications for all 2025/26 program streams across our global sites.

If you’re a founder developing a science- or technology-based venture with the potential for massive scale, this is your opportunity to work with world-class mentors, serial entrepreneurs, investors, scientists, and operators who’ve built and backed industry-defining companies.

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• Focused mentorship from accomplished entrepreneurs and investors

• Technical guidance from leading scientists and engineers

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• Zero equity fees to participate

• Access to CDL’s global network of founders, funders, and researchers

How to Apply

Select the stream(s) and site(s) that best match your venture and vision. You can apply to multiple streams.

Application Deadlines

Early Deadlines:

• CDL Quantum: June 9, 2025 @ 11:59PM ET

• CDL Web3: June 15, 2025 @ 11:59PM ET

• CDL-Atlantic Prime: July 4, 2025 @ 11:59PM ET

All other CDL Sites and Streams:

• Final Deadline: July 25, 2025 @ 11:59PM ET

Start your application by filling out the form here:

IERA AWARD

The IERA Award is calling for submissions, deadline May 31st, if you are world class in robotics innovation and commercialization. The award is hosted by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Industry Activities Board. Previous winners include many famous names.

Silicon Valley Robotics Startup & Investor Database

Are you a startup fundraising atm? Fill out our "For Investors Eyes Only" sheet.

Are you an accredited investor interested in seeing robotics startups? Sign up here!

Robotics News

Sam Altman on humanoid robots: They’re coming and ‘it’s gonna feel very sci-fi’ - HOLA!

Robots walk, roll, fly to showcase cutting edge technology at leading international conference in Atlanta - APNews - VIDEO

Walgreens Ups Use of Robotics With New Micro-Fulfillment Center - PYMNTS

Bringing robotics and automation into focus - Nature

The small robot company with big global ambitions - Rest of world

Serve is betting that food delivery and access to public markets are the keys to scaling robotics - TechCrunch

Function over flash: Specialized robots attract billions with efficient task handling - Reuters

A deep dive into Amazon robotics and AI - Big Think

10 robot trends from Automate - The Robot Report

Do EV Charging Robots Make Sense On A Basic Level - Autoweek

Unilever R&D head lifts lid on AI, robots and beating the ‘grease gap’ - R&D World

Beyond Imagination raises $100 million to build humanoid robots - Fast Company

Nvidia charges ahead with humanoid robotics aided by the cloud - VentureBeat

EngineAI targets $1 Billion valuation as Chinese robots heat up - Bloomberg

Robotics Events

• Humanoids Summit London May 29-30

• Bots&Beer&BoardGames Mountain View - June 4

• Robotics Invest Boston - June 10-11

• CVPR Nashville Tennessee - June 11-15

• Hugging Face Le Robot Hackathon Mountain View - June 14-15

• Hugging Face Le Robot Hackathon Mountain View - June 14-15

• (Hugging Face SF Hackathon and Robot Build Nights links coming soon)

• Hard Tech Venture Summit & Startup Manufacturing Workshop - June 18-19

• Deep Tech Week Robot Party - June 22

• SVR Robotics Leadership Summit - June 30

• Actuate - Sep 23-24

• SVR Robotics Investment Summit​ - Sep 25

• ROSCON Singapore - Oct 27-30

• SVR Robotics Leadership Summit - Dec 10

• Humanoids Summit - Dec 11-12

Join the organizing team at Silicon Valley Robotics - bots&beer@svrobo.org