May 19, 2025 – Atlanta, Georgia

MassRobotics was proud to host the Robotics Startup Bootcamp, a full-day immersive workshop designed specifically for early-stage robotics entrepreneurs, at this year’s ICRA 2025 conference in Atlanta. The event brought together aspiring startup founders, researchers considering commercialization, and early-stage robotics companies for a comprehensive, hands-on learning experience that tackled the real-world challenges of launching and growing a robotics business.

Preparing Startups for Success in a Complex Industry

Unlike software startups, robotics companies must navigate the added complexities of hardware development, manufacturing, supply chain logistics, and deep tech integration. The Robotics Startup Bootcamp was created to help founders understand this terrain and equip them with practical strategies to take their ideas from lab to market.

Throughout the day, attendees participated in sessions led by seasoned industry experts, legal professionals, and successful entrepreneurs who shared tools, frameworks, and lessons learned from building companies in the robotics space.

Workshop Highlights and Key Takeaways

The day kicked off with an introduction from Joyce Sidopoulos, Co-Founder and Chief of Operations at MassRobotics, who set the tone with an overview of the unique challenges robotics startups face and what to expect from the day.

Morning Sessions:

  • From Idea to Inc.: Entity Formation and Founder Equity
     Led by Jennifer Audeh, this session covered legal structures, founder agreements, and how to set up your startup for long-term success.
  • From Concept to Commercialization: IP Strategies for Startup Success
     John Lanza guided participants through the essentials of intellectual property protection, including patents, trade secrets, and avoiding common IP pitfalls.
  • Mindset Shift: From Technology-Focus to Product Commercialization
     Deepak Sathyanarayan emphasized the importance of discovering and communicating your value proposition, shifting from a technology-first to a customer-first mindset.
Jennifer Audeh, Foley Hoag
John Lanza, Foley Hoag
Deepak Sathyanarayan, Eigen

Afternoon Sessions:

  • Media and Marketing 101
     Mark O’Toole broke down how and when to build your startup’s public presence—from LinkedIn and websites to media outreach and branding.
  • Customer Discovery: How to Run a High-Quality Process
    Marita McGinn led this practical session on validating customer needs through structured interviews, data gathering, and iteration.
  • Financing Your Startup
    Returning speaker Jennifer Audeh detailed various funding avenues including bootstrapping, grant opportunities, accelerator programs, angel investors, and institutional funding.

Joyce Sidopoulos, MassRobotics
Marita McGinn, MassRobotics
Mark O’Toole, Marketing 101

Fireside Chat and Wrap-Up:

The day concluded with a candid fireside chat featuring Onder Ondemir, Founder of Ubiros, who shared his startup journey, reflections on lessons learned, and advice for entrepreneurs navigating the early stages of building a robotics company. The final wrap-up, led by Joyce, left participants with encouragement to continue building and validating their ventures.

Creating a Stronger Robotics Startup Community

The Robotics Startup Bootcamp highlights MassRobotics’ commitment to supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the robotics and hardware startup ecosystem. By bringing together early founders and providing them with tools to navigate this complex landscape, MassRobotics continues to play a vital role in growing the next generation of impactful robotics companies.

For more information on upcoming bootcamps, mentorship programs, or how to get involved with MassRobotics, visit www.massrobotics.org.