It would be foolhardy to describe any tech sector as immune from the recent slowdown in venture funding. Yet robotics is doing better than most, with startups reaping more than $5 billion in the first five months of 2022. You don’t have to dig much further to discover that logistics and fulfillment automation lead the pack.
Case in point. In April, Amazon — king of the automation jungle — launched a $1 billion Industrial Innovation Fund to invest in companies “at all stages” working on supply chain, logistics and fulfillment technologies.
While Amazon is huge, it is by no means the only player defining the space. We’re thrilled that three major influencers in robotics automation — Rick Faulk, CEO at Locus Robotics; Jessica Moran, SVP and general manager at Berkshire Grey and Melonee Wise, VP of robotics automation at Zebra Technologies — will join us online at TC Sessions: Robotics on July 21 for a panel discussion entitled, The Fulfilling World of Warehouse Robotics.
Robotics technology gives Amazon its competitive advantage and helped it weather a global pandemic. The pandemic-induced changes in consumer behavior aren’t stopping anytime soon, if ever. Businesses are increasingly looking to automation as a key tool to improve operational efficiency — and compete with the 800-pound gorilla.
In a wide-ranging conversation with our panelists, we’ll explore how automation technologies work to improve delivery times, manage inventory, assist their human counterparts and help warehouses stay competitive. We’ll also ask these experts for their take on the next essential evolution in warehouse robotics.
CEO Rick Faulk is responsible for the overall strategy and execution at Locus Robotics. He leads with more than 30 years of experience in executive management, sales and marketing. Currently, Faulk sits on various boards, including Influitive and Hostway, and he advises a number of early-stage companies.
Jessica Moran is the SVP and general manager at Berkshire Grey. Previously, she served as general manager at Bottomline Technologies. She has also held leadership positions for global organizations including Microsoft, Computer Associates and Enterasys Networks.
Melonee Wise, the vice president of robotics automation at Zebra Technologies, joined Zebra through the acquisition of Fetch Robotics where she served as co-founder and CEO. As the second employee at Willow Garage, she led a team of engineers developing next-generation robot hardware and software including ROS, the PR2 and TurtleBot.
TC Sessions: Robotics is a free online event, happening July 21. You can catch all of the sessions and join the robotics community online for speed networking, chats and one-on-one meetings. Simply register here for free.