When it comes to the complex world of robotics, Helen Greiner is an expert. She was one of the co-founders of iRobot, the robotics company responsible for the wonderful vacuuming Roomba robot, and she founded and currently helms CyPhy Works, which develops UAVs for search and rescue missions and bridge inspections. We’re stoked to announce that Greiner will be joining us live on stage at Disrupt SF 2015.
Greiner holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in computer science, both from MIT. She co-founded iRobot in 1990, serving as the company’s President until 2004 and Chairman until 2008. Her greatest accomplishment at iRobot was leading the company’s entry into the military marketplace, delivering over 6,000 PackBot robots to American troops.
She founded her current company, CyPhy Works, in November 2008. CyPhy Works builds small, multi-rotor drones for the consumer and military markets. These tethered drones deliver high-quality video, reliable controls, secure communications, and unlimited flight time, all delivered through a high-powered, high-quality microfilament tethering system that’s about as thin as fishing line.
Greiner envisions that CyPhy Works will one day be a multibillion dollar company because the potential market for drones is so huge. She’s already raised about $13 million in various funding rounds, with investors actively seeking her out because, as she told Fortune in a recent interview, “everyone wants drones.”
She proved that point with a recent Kickstarter campaign for the LVL 1 hexacopter drone, which raised just under $900,000 from 1,500 backers and will begin shipping in early 2016.
Come hear Greiner’s vision for the drone industry, and how she plans to ensure that CyPhy Works is at the very forefront of the industry’s development, at Disrupt SF 2015. Disrupt takes place September 21 – 23 at San Francisco’s historic Pier 70, and early bird tickets to the show are still available to purchase.
To get your hands on a ticket to the show, head over to our ticketing page for more info. But be sure to act quickly, as tickets to Disrupt are selling incredibly fast. And with all the incredible speakers and startups we’re lining up for the show, you’ll definitely want to be there.