According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) service robotics sales are expected to reach $24.7 billion by 2016. A number of start-up are being set up by young companies to generate awareness and funding for innovative projects.
InnoEcho is once again sending out a "Call for Robotics Start-Ups" for the Innorobo 2014 summit, March 18-20 at Lyon's Cite Internationale. New companies are invited to send in projects or prototypes.
An international panel of investors will choose five projects from a group of 30 semi-finalists whose projects represent the most promising start-ups. The winners will be invited to Innorobo 2014 to present their projects to an audience of 900 financers, investors and entrepreneurs.
"Innorobo is behind a host of initiatives that are actively contributing to speeding up the emergence of innovations within the robotics and high-tech ecosystem," said Catherine Simon, chairwoman for InnoEcho.
In 2013, more than 130 exhibitors from 14 countries drew more than 15,000 attendees.
"Participating in the final of the 'Call for Robotics Start-Ups' opened us many doors," said Grégoire Gérard, founder and CEO of FiveFive. "It has allowed us to make ourselves known to some investors and benefit from constructive discussion and encounters with experienced professionals"
"Innorobo 2013 proved a nice platform to showcast our product," said Ruud van der Aalst founder of WittyWorX. "Being a startup finalist, WittyWorX enjoyed the lively discussions with visitors and their enthusiasm for our product proposition ixi-play."
Application deadline for entries is Jan. 10, 2014.
