Entries opens for Automate event’s $10,000 startup contest

Cutting-edge startups—driving innovations in robotics, machine vision, artificial intelligence and other automation technologies—will compete for a $10,000 prize in “The Cowen Startup Challenge: Automate to Outperform,” taking place at Automate 2022 in Detroit in June.

The competition, which is now accepting entries, will spotlight exciting and innovative entrepreneurs and their young companies during North America’s largest robotics and automation showcase. The deadline for entry is March 31, 2022. To enter, use this nomination form.

Automate 2022 Show and Conference runs June 6-9, 2022, at Huntington Place convention center in Detroit and is hosted by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the leading global advocate for the benefits of automating. “The Cowen Startup Challenge: Automate to Outperform” will take place on June 7, 2022. This year’s competition is sponsored by Cowen, a multinational, independent investment bank and financial services company.

Companies entering the challenge must:

• Operate in the automation space (robotics, vision, motion control, AI)
• Been founded in the last five years
• Raised less than $5 million USD since creation
• Not be affiliated with or belonging to a larger group.

Ten finalists will vie for the top $10,000 cash prize by pitching their technology solution to a panel of industry expert judges. All finalists will also be awarded a complimentary exhibit space on the Automate show floor to engage with more than 20,000 attendees.

“The imperative to automate has never been a higher priority across virtually every industry and we increasingly look to the innovative, bright minds from startup companies to lead the way,” said Peter Finn, Managing Director, Industrial Technology at Cowen. “Startup entrepreneurs play a critical role in the development of new technology, and this competition is a way for us to support and usher in new growth, while providing a spotlight for these new technologies in front of potential partners.”

Past winners include Innovative Mechatronic Systems B.V (2019) for its Archimedes Drive, a toothless gearbox; Apellix (2017) for its software-controlled aerial robotics; and Soft Robotics (2015) for its innovative gripping solution.

Learn more at Automate, June 6-9, in Detroit. Registration for Automate 2022, North America’s leading automation trade show and conference, can be accessed here. The event hosts the industry’s leading manufacturers and system integrators in robotics, machine vision, motion control, artificial intelligence and smart automation.