The 2026 Robotics Startup Radar is open: here is how to apply
The Robot Report is accepting submissions from young robotics companies until 6 October 2026. A spot on the list can put a startup in front of investors and engineers who are actively looking for the next big thing.
Key points
- The Robot Report opened submissions for its 2026 Robotics Startup Radar list on an unspecified date, with a deadline of Tuesday, 6 October 2026.
- Eligible startups must be five years old or younger and offer a novel product, technology, or business model in any robotics field.
- Last year's list featured 100 startups across autonomous mobility, humanoid robots, industrial automation, and other sectors.
- The 2026 programme is sponsored by Maxon Precision Motors and PTC.
- Submitting does not guarantee a place on the final list; the editorial team reviews every entry.
Every year a fresh wave of robotics companies arrives with new ideas and no audience. The 2026 Robotics Startup Radar is one of the cleaner ways to fix that.
The Robot Report, a trade publication covering the robotics industry, is now collecting entries for its annual spotlight list. The deadline is Tuesday, 6 October 2026. After that, the editorial team works through every submission and selects the companies it considers most worth watching.
Who can apply?
Any startup founded in 2021 or later is eligible. The company needs to offer something genuinely new: a full robotic system, a component technology that other builders depend on, or a business model that does things differently. The target industry does not matter.
The application asks for basic company details alongside a description of around 300 words explaining what the technology does. Teams can also submit images, a product video, and links to extra background. The form asks which markets the startup targets, from healthcare and agriculture to logistics and construction.
What does a startup actually get out of this?
Visibility, mainly. Last year's list of 100 companies reached readers that included investors, established engineers, and other founders. For a young company with limited marketing budget, that kind of third-party endorsement carries real weight.
The programme does not come with prize money or guaranteed deals. What it offers is a credible platform at a moment when the robotics sector is growing fast and the noise level is high.
What happens next?
The editorial team reviews entries after the 6 October cut-off and builds the final list. Being selected depends on the editors' judgment, not on how early or how often a company applies.
The 2026 Robotics Startup Radar is sponsored by Maxon Precision Motors, a Swiss maker of precision drive systems, and PTC, an industrial software company. Sponsorship enquiries go to Jami Brownlee; editorial questions go to Brianna Wessling at The Robot Report.
If your company is within the five-year window and has something concrete to show, the October deadline gives you several months to pull together a strong submission.
