BOW, the trailblazing universal robotics software company, has secured £4 million in a seed funding round led by Northern Gritstone. The round included co-investors Finance Yorkshire and Praetura Ventures, as a part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II. This pivotal investment will speed up the event of BOW’s revolutionary platform and software development kit (SDK), making it easier than ever for developers to program and manage robotics applications across any platform or robot model.
This milestone comes just two months after BOW appointed Liz Upton, Co-Founding father of Raspberry Pi (LSE:RPI), as Chair of the Board, further underscoring the corporate’s commitment to scaling its groundbreaking solutions.
Addressing Complexity in a Growing Market
The worldwide robotics market is predicted to succeed in a staggering $260 billion by 2030. Despite this growth, the industry faces significant barriers, particularly the fee and complexity of programming robots. Traditionally, developing robotics applications has required specialized roboticists, with applications often being incompatible across different robot models. This lack of standardization hampers innovation and slows adoption across industries.
BOW’s platform, named “Bettering Our Worlds”, addresses these challenges by offering a universal software solution. With the BOW SDK, developers can program robots using their preferred operating system and coding language, including Python, C++, JavaScript, and more. This compatibility reduces reliance on robotics specialists, enabling generalist developers to create, deploy, and manage robotics applications seamlessly. Applications may also be effortlessly ported between different robot makes and models, fostering a brand new era of innovation and accessibility.
Founded in 2020, BOW is one in every of the world’s leading universal robotics software company, working with robotic hardware manufacturers, OEMs, system integrators, and developers to simplify robotics programming and speed up innovation. BOW’s platform empowers developers to construct robotics applications using any programming language and operating system, creating flexible, scalable solutions for real-world and simulated environments.
Nick Thompson, CEO of BOW, emphasized the transformative potential of the platform:
A Universal Toolkit for Robotics
BOW simplifies robotics programming by managing the complexities of robot actuators, motor control, and sensors through its SDK and platform. Developers can:
- Construct robotics applications using their preferred programming languages and operating systems.
- Test applications in real-time simulators before deployment.
- Seamlessly switch between simulated and real-world environments.
- Enable multi-robot control and fleet management.
BOW’s advanced features, reminiscent of inverse kinematics and ultra-low latency communication, further streamline the event process. The SDK also integrates seamlessly with popular middleware like ROS (Robot Operating System), making it compatible with existing robotics ecosystems while eliminating the necessity for complex hardware-specific coding.
BOW enables developers to handle all of the complexities of robot actuators, motor control, sensors, and features while leveraging advanced functionalities like real-time simulation, multi-robot control, and VR teleoperation. With BOW Insight, developers can visualize robot sensor data, issue commands, and control robots in real-time, making robotics programming intuitive and efficient.
Daniel Camilleri, CTO and Founding father of BOW, highlighted the importance of this achievement:
Supporting Innovation within the North of England
Founded in 2020 as a spinout from the University of Sheffield, BOW is headquartered in Sheffield, a city with a powerful legacy of scientific research and technological innovation. Northern Gritstone, which led the funding round, is committed to fostering growth in science and technology businesses across the North of England.
Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, remarked:
The investment also underscores the University of Sheffield’s pivotal role in advancing robotics innovation. Ranked among the many top 100 universities globally the university continues to contribute groundbreaking research that underpins industrial success stories like BOW.
Professor Sue Hartley, Vice-President for Research and Innovation on the University of Sheffield, noted:
Enabling a Latest Era of Robotics
BOW’s platform empowers developers in any respect levels to create functional robotics solutions without having to navigate the complexities of hardware integration. By enabling intuitive development and offering features like real-time simulation, multi-robot control, and AI-powered capabilities, BOW is setting a brand new standard in robotics software.
The corporate’s ecosystem includes the BOW Hub for managing robot licenses, BOW Insight for real-time visualization, and tools for seamless deployment across platforms. With ultra-low latency communications optimized through WebRTC, BOW ensures efficient and responsive robot control, even across continents.
The Way forward for Robotics is Here
BOW’s mission to “derisk” robotics development and lower barriers to entry marks a transformative step for the industry. By simplifying robotics programming and enabling broader participation, BOW is paving the way in which for innovations that may shape the long run. Whether it’s industrial automation, healthcare, or logistics, the chances are infinite.
This £4 million seed funding positions BOW as a pacesetter in universal robotics software, able to unlock the complete potential of the robotics revolution.
