If you want a front-row seat to the future of automation, Automate 2025 is where it all happens. Hundreds of solutions. Thousands of people. Endless inspiration. Tucked inside all that action is one of the most exciting corners of the event: the Automate Startup Challenge.
This is where the industry’s freshest ideas get their shot. Ten rising stars will take the stage to pitch their solutions — from AI orchestration platforms to ultrasonic sensing breakthroughs — for a chance to win big. But the real prize? Shaping the direction of automation itself.
These finalists aren’t just building better tools; they’re tackling automation’s biggest pain points head-on: safety vs. speed tradeoffs, rigid systems, sky-high integration costs, and the complexity of multi-robot environments. Some are improving existing systems; others are flipping the whole approach. But they’re all showing us what is possible.
Let’s meet the finalists — and be sure to catch them all at the Startup Challenge, sponsored by NVIDIA and Microsoft.
3LAWS ROBOTICS
Booths #8922 | #4607
Traditional safety systems in robotics often force a tradeoff between speed and protection. 3Laws Robotics is challenging that assumption with a real-time dynamic safety system that enables robots to move quickly, efficiently, and freely without compromising safety.
Rather than simply stopping when safety thresholds are approached, 3Laws' software modifies robot commands in real time, allowing for smoother, more natural adjustments that maintain productivity. The system sits between the autonomy stack and the embedded control system, working with existing sensors, including 3D lidars and cameras.
AIRTREK ROBOTICS
Booth #4608
Airtrek Robotics is automating ground operations to keep the aviation industry soaring. Their autonomous solutions are tailored to tackle complex, safety-critical, and labor-intensive tasks in a highly regulated sector with nuanced automation needs.
By focusing on this specialized niche, Airtrek Robotics delivers automation benefits to streamline operations and optimize resources in an industry where safety and precision are paramount.
BUCKET ROBOTICS
Booth #4609
Collecting real-world training data is expensive and time-consuming. But Bucket Robotics is flipping the script with synthetic data and CAD-based training for extensive real-world image collection.
This breakthrough means manufacturers can deploy sophisticated AI vision models for defect detection, classification, and other tasks without requiring in-house machine learning expertise. Their edge-friendly, camera-agnostic solutions make advanced computer vision accessible to all — especially operations that previously couldn't justify the investment.
DESTRO AI
Booth #4610
With hundreds of robot manufacturers and thousands of automation platforms, hardware is no longer the primary differentiator it once was. Destro AI recognized this shift and created the “App Store for warehouse robotics.” It’s an AI-powered orchestration layer that acts as the central intelligence for warehouse operations.
This hardware-agnostic platform translates high-level warehouse workflows into specific robotic commands, coordinating across different types of automation equipment. By focusing on optimizing rather than replacing existing systems, Destro AI offers a path to truly lights-out operations without requiring wholesale equipment replacement.
KAMET.AI
Booth #4611
Unplanned downtime can cost manufacturing operations thousands of dollars per minute. Yet, many businesses are still reactive in their approach to equipment failure. Kamet.AI is on a mission to change this with artificial intelligence.
Their AI integrates with existing systems to detect risks early, calculate potential losses, and provide real-time solutions. Beyond that, their AI-powered platform offers frictionless deployment, requiring no complex installations or real-time data prerequisites. With design partners including Mitsubishi Electric and an impressive sales pipeline, Kamet demonstrates how intelligence layers can extract more value from existing automation investments.
KINISI INDUSTRIES INC.
Booth #4707
Many of us have seen humanoids in the news or on social media. But Kinisi is going beyond biological mimicry and building wheeled humanoids that can better take on industrial settings. Their vertically integrated, AI-native robots combine software, hardware, and data into one unified system for a full-stack solution.
Their approach prioritizes deployment-ready solutions to accelerate the timeline for productive humanoid robotics in real-world warehouse and factory settings.
NEXUS INTELLIGENCE
Booth #4708
While the industrial automation space may be full of proprietary tech, Nexus Intelligence is opening things up a bit. They provide a modern, open platform, along with developer tools designed to bring the agility of modern software development to industrial settings.
Their approach breaks down patented walls that have limited integration options, potentially unlocking new capabilities by connecting previously siloed systems. And by bringing developer-friendly tools, they expand who can create automation solutions and how quickly they can be deployed.
ROTATE8
Booth #4709
Rotate8 is taking a giant leap forward for agricultural automation and farm connectivity. From soil preparation to harvesting, their Precision Farming Rover (PFR) is designed to be flexible, repairable, and customizable. The modular platform creates a "Farm as a Robot" ecosystem that can be added to one module at a time. For example, complementary IoT devices can help automate irrigation, control gates, and monitor conditions.
This unified network empowers farms of all sizes to adopt automation at their own speed to help overcome labor shortages, rising costs, and the demands of every day.
SONAIR
Booth #4710
Sonair has developed a patented 3D ultrasonic sensor that transforms robot perception. This breakthrough in ultrasonics and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) enables robots to perceive their environments in true 3D, potentially revolutionizing how machines navigate and interact with their surroundings.
Their patented tech opens new possibilities for profitability (up to 80% cost savings), safety, and camera effectiveness in low-light, dusty, or high-reflectivity environments.
WORKR LABS
Booth #4711
Flexibility is the name of the game in high-mix, low-volume environments. And that’s exactly where Workr Labs saw an opportunity to evolve the capabilities of traditional industrial robots.
Their Manufacturing AI platform makes robots adaptable teammates — learning new tasks quickly without costly reprogramming. This breakthrough makes high-mix, low-volume automation economically viable for the first time, potentially transforming industries that have resisted automation due to product variety.
EXPERIENCE THE FUTURE OF AUTOMATION AT AUTOMATE
The companies on this list aren't just creating breakthrough technologies; they're addressing bottlenecks and unlocking possibilities for companies big and small. The ripple effects of their innovations could extend far beyond the initial pitch, potentially transforming how we think about what can and should be automated. The Automate 2025 Startup Challenge is your chance to see what the future holds for these companies — and how we work.
Ready to experience everything automation and beyond? Join us for FREE!
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