Insider Brief
- New York Robotics has formally launched as robotics activity accelerates across New York City and the Tri-State area, citing more than 160 robotics startups in the region — nearly 100 in New York City – as robotics and embodied AI shift from research into commercial deployment.
- The nonprofit said it has spent the past two years building a coordinated ecosystem spanning startups, corporations, academic institutions, research labs, investors, government organizations, and service providers, positioning New York alongside established global robotics hubs such as Boston, Pittsburgh, Silicon Valley, and Munich.
- New York Robotics said its platform now includes over 80 corporations, 20 academic institutions, 40 research labs, and 300 venture capital firms, alongside new initiatives such as the NYR Index, expanded programming, and partnerships including work with C10 Labs through NYCEDC’s AI Nexus to support workforce development and applied AI commercialization.
New York Robotics has formally launched as the region’s robotics ecosystem accelerates, pointing to a sharp rise in startups, investment activity, and enterprise adoption across New York City and the broader Tri-State area.
According to New York Robotics, more than 160 robotics startups are now operating across the region, including nearly 100 based in New York City. The organization said that scale places New York among a small group of global robotics centers alongside established hubs such as Boston, Pittsburgh, Silicon Valley, and Munich, and reflects a shift as robotics and embodied AI move from research environments into commercial deployment.
“Our vision is to leverage New York’s centrality on the global technology stage to become a leading hub for robotics innovation, Jacob Hennessey-Rubin, Founding Board Member and Executive Director of New York Robotics, said in the announcement. “This is a place where researchers, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and investors can collaborate to shape the future of robotics. By rapidly expanding the ecosystem and elevating robotics as a serious investment class on Wall Street, we’re positioning New York for long-term leadership in this transformative sector.”
The announcement coincided with New York Robotics’ sponsorship of AlleyCorp’s inaugural Deep Tech NY conference. Over the past two years, the group said it has quietly built a broad network spanning startups, corporations, academic institutions, research labs, investors, government bodies, and service providers tied to robotics and embodied AI, the non-profit noted.
New York Robotics, formed in 2021 as a grass-roots community-building organiation before becoming a non-profit in 2024, aims to address what it described as a long-standing structural gap in the region’s technology economy. While New York has deep pools of capital, talent, and enterprise customers, robotics activity historically developed in disconnected pockets. The organization said its goal is to consolidate that activity into a coordinated ecosystem that can support company formation, scaling, long-term industry growth, and promote global partnerships.
The group framed the current moment as an inflection point, with robotics increasingly viewed as a durable investment category tied to labor shortages, automation, and AI-driven productivity rather than experimental technology.
“We see New York Robotics as a kind of exchange,” noted Randy Howie, Founding Board Member and Managing Partner of New York Robotics. “It’s a platform where startups, enterprises, investors, academia, and government can connect efficiently, align incentives, and ensure that growth in robotics translates into broad economic impact.”
New York Robotics said its network now includes more than 80 corporations, over 20 academic institutions, more than 40 robotics and embodied AI research labs, and more than 300 venture capital firms with active investments in robotics. The group also counts dozens of domestic and international government organizations and more than 150 service providers and ecosystem partners as participants.
The organization has named a set of founding members that include large financial institutions, universities, venture firms, and professional services companies to anchor the ecosystem and provide access to capital, research talent, enterprise customers, and regulatory expertise as robotics companies mature.
As part of its platform, New York Robotics recently introduced a private beta of the NYR Index, a proprietary data and mapping tool designed to track startups, investors, research labs, and enterprise participants across the ecosystem. The organization said the index is intended to provide partners with structured visibility into activity across the region, supporting dealmaking, partnerships, and strategic planning.
New York Robotics has also focused on increasing the sector’s visibility within the city’s broader technology landscape. Over the past two years, the group said it has hosted or co-hosted more than 20 events, including the first dedicated robotics programming during NY TechWeek. These efforts are aimed at positioning robotics as a distinct investment and industrial category rather than a niche within software or hardware, according to the organization.
In parallel, New York Robotics has entered into partnerships tied to workforce development and applied AI commercialization. One such collaboration involves C10 Labs, an operator selected by NYCEDC for the NYC AI Nexus initiative. Under that arrangement, C10 Labs is expected to build applied AI ventures in robotics and advanced manufacturing, with New York Robotics supporting those efforts through ecosystem programming and mentorship.
The organization said New York’s appeal for robotics companies lies in the combination of dense enterprise demand, global capital markets, academic research strength, and nearby industrial infrastructure. Urban density supports early testing and customer access, while areas outside the city provide manufacturing and scaling capacity.
“We see New York as essential to the global robotics community, and the work New York Robotics is doing to strengthen that network is hugely impactful to the future growth and success of so many startups here in the city,” Abe Murray, General Partner at AlleyCorp, pointed out in the announcement.
Founding, Annual, and Strategic Partners of New York Robotics include EisnerAmper, New York University, J.P. Morgan, AlleyCorp, Informa Markets, Interwoven Ventures, Polsinelli, Standard Bots, Monozukuri Ventures, SDP/SI, Mercer Labs, Tech:NYC, Cybernetix Ventures, Newlab, C10, Milkshake Studio, Cozen O’Connor, and The Batchery.
