Monthly Archives: September 2021

STRAX Launches Online Only Brand Dttir With New Line of Sports-focused True Wireless Headphones – PRNewswire

Posted: September 24, 2021 at 10:57 am

STOCKHOLM, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dttir is a new brand developed within, and owned by, STRAX. The sports-oriented true wireless headphones are the first product in the series to be released. The product will initially be marketed to active consumers in North America and the UK, but be available online globally.

- With more than three million Instagram followers we believe Katrin and Annie provide us with the right platform to reach the CrossFit community and fitness savvy consumers we are targeting. Dttir is a great addition to our personal audio brands, and as an online exclusive brand we can steer performance marketing without interfering with our brick-and-mortar customers. We see a significant potential for Dttir with more product launches to come, says Gudmundur Palmason, CEO, STRAX.

The first product, Dttir Freedom On-Grid in-ear headphones has already been awarded the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2021.

Dttirs' co-founding brand ambassadors Katrin Davidsdottir and Annie Thorisdottir are both two-time winners of the title "Worlds Fittest Woman" at the CrossFit Games. STRAX have designed the headphones, with their valuable input, to withstand intense training on land or in water.

The true wireless headphones features Active Noise Canceling technology, a fully waterproof construction and an ergonomic, wraparound design that ensures the headphone stays in place throughout your workout. The total playtime is up to 72 hours with a wireless charging case that provides up to five additional charges.

Corporate Accountability Action Launches #OfftheBANWagon Campaign To Hold Financial Backers of Texas Abortion Ban Accountable – inForney.com

Posted: at 10:57 am

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Following the enactment of SB8 in Texas an unconstitutional law that will leave millions of women without access to critical abortion care Corporate Accountability Action is fighting back by launching #OffTheBANWagon. The new project will shine a light on the corporations that have bankrolled the campaigns of the Texas state legislators who sponsored this cruel abortion ban.

AT&T, NBC Universal, Time Warner, and Charter Communications spent over $1 million financing the campaigns of Texas legislatorsthat effectively ended 50 years of precedent established by Roe v. Wade and repeatedly affirmed.

These powerful corporations have been publicly advocating for equity and empowerment for women while behind the scenes spending hundreds of thousands of dollars propping up state legislators who continue to push and champion harmful legislation that stands in direct contradiction to the company's statements.

Click here to watch CAA's first adcalling out AT&T that's set to air in the Dallas media market and on digital beginning this week.

Corporate Donor Contributions to Anti-Abortion Lawmakers

AT&T, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, donated the largest amount to the sponsors of the extreme Texas abortion ban while widely claiming that "one of the company's 'core values' was 'gender equity and the empowerment of women."

"Women in Texas and across the nation deserve to know that companies they've long patronized, which claim to want to empower women, are actually doing the exact opposite. Through their support of anti-abortion extremists, companies like AT&T helped enact one of the most cruel and disgraceful laws in the country, and they should be held accountable," said #OffTheBANWagon spokesperson Julie McClain Downey. "This law not only put an end to safe and legal abortions in Texas, but it interjected perfect strangers into the private, time sensitive, and deeply personal medical decisions of individuals on strict and baseless timelines and without exceptions for victims of rape and incest. We must call these companies out for their hypocrisy and put an end to the enactment of similar bans being proposed around the country."

"This abortion ban part of the Republican plan to make reproductive health care completely out-of-reach is devastating, which is why companies that backed the lawmakers responsible for this cannot be permitted to bury their heads in the sand," said reproductive rights advocate and American Bridge co-chair Cecile Richards. "By funding politicians that have made clear their disdain for reproductive freedom, corporations are giving lawmakers across the country the green light to ban essential health services while giving lip service to 'equity' and 'empowerment.' We cannot let this go on, which is why it's so important to call out their hypocrisy and stop them from continuing to harm people."

SB8, recently passed by the Texas legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott (R), effectivelybans abortions for millions of women with no exceptionsfor victims of rape or incest. Moreover, it allows for vigilante justice giving any individual the right to sue another over a personal medical decision. A similar law has been passed in Mississippi and is on the docket to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this fall. As a result of the Texas ban, state legislatures across the country are considering extreme abortion ban laws of their own, taking away long-established reproductive rights.

The #OffTheBANWagon campaign, a project of Corporate Accountability Action and American Bridge 21st Century, will be releasing advertisements focused on educating Texas residents on the corporate backers of the ban, along with the critical role these major corporations played in the ultimate passing of the law.

To learn more about how to hold these corporations accountable, visit OffTheBANWagon.org or Twitter @CAAction2021, Facebook at /corporateaccountabilityaction, or on Instagram @corporateaccountabilityaction.

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Corporate Accountability Action Launches #OfftheBANWagon Campaign To Hold Financial Backers of Texas Abortion Ban Accountable - inForney.com

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Ahead of the festive season, women leading various categories at Myntra gear up to deliver more than just a sh – YourStory

Posted: at 10:57 am

In this article in the series, we spoke to women leaders who are driving some of the emerging business categories for Myntra, and how the organisation has given them a perfect platform to chart their success stories. With one of Myntras key events, Big Fashion Festival around the corner and the festive season upon us, these women leaders share, how with their work they are not just able to make a difference in their own careers but create a positive impact for their customers and in the journey of their brand partners during such peak times and beyond.

While a lot of us have been looking to solve our beauty needs with DIY kits from the safety of our homes during the pandemic, Aditi Garg and her team have been working hard behind the scenes to cater to the growing demand in this evolving space. Aditi joined Myntra in 2014 as the Manager of the Women's Indian Wear Apparel category and moved on about three years ago to lead the Beauty and Personal Care category as a Director.

With a problem-first approach, the team tried to introspect customers' beauty needs and identified the products to make their portfolio more comprehensive. Second, they studied different brands in the market that could solve these problems. And finally, they bridged the gap by ensuring those products were available on Myntra.

"Beauty and personal care are an integral part of every individuals day-to-day life. Its not as simple as picking up a product and running with it. With so much focus on individuality, customers know what exactly they want. So, for us as a team, it was a mix of not just offering what's available in the market, but also understanding customer challenges and then bridging the gap with the right product offering," says Aditi.

In her team, every member gets the opportunity to traverse between different departments, understand the supply chain, and even manage the entire P&L of the category. "At Myntra, every role is more than just a regular business profile. It's a 360-degree role that enables the team to not only manage their individual facets but ensure that they're working towards the common goal of the organisation, says Aditi.

Beauty, in a short time, has progressed from being the emerging to one of the fastest growing categories on Myntra, with 600+ brands as part of the portfolio.

The fashion marketplace provides an equal opportunity for everyone, regardless of gender. "There's never been a time when I was looked at as superior or inferior because I'm a woman. Everyone is given the opportunity to be heard, innovate beyond their roles, make mistakes, and come back stronger to innovate again. Professionally, its been an amazing journey for me to be able to lead and grow this portfolio. Personally, its been an even more gratifying experience - Being a woman, to be able to bring thousands of women closer to their favourite brands and help them express themselves differently, has been a gratifying experience."

"The leadership at Myntra is very supportive and you feel like you're a part of the organisation. No one is growing or suppressed based on their gender, she adds.

On talking about the upcoming festive season and Myntra's mega fashion carnival, the Big Fashion Festival, Aditi said that the team is prepped up by adding new brands on the platform and are expecting high demand from across geographies and markets - metros, Tier 1, Tier 2, T3 cities, and beyond. The team is also focusing on putting together the largest selection of offerings to provide the best value for customers.

When Sonal Kumar joined Myntra in 2019, the Kidswear category was at a nascent stage and her role as Associate Director was to scale it and make Myntra a one-stop fashion destination for kids. The category witnessed a major uptake post lockdown last year.

Sonal says that the kids' category is one of the most complicated pieces to solve in the fashion industry, but with massive support from Myntra's leadership, internal functions and her team, it has today become among the fastest growing in the company. "The category has a plethora of sub-categories and to excel, you have to be well-versed with all the nuances such as age level, size level and so on," she explains.

She had to break the category into age cohorts with different need states, and then build up a healthy assortment across brands. During the pandemic, the demand for this category has continued to be high as kids grow out their clothes fast and customer requirements have evolved. The team has had a three-fold strategy - identify customers' needs state and the product they are looking for, provide it at the right price, and solve for discoverability.

Sonal outlines how the approachable and motivating culture at Myntra is to be credited for the category's success where opportunities are shared, and training is provided to both employees and managers to upskill. "Everyone is encouraged to take ownership and drive projects end-to-end. If there's a problem, Myntra ensures that we're given everything we need to solve it," she says.

With more than 1 lakh styles, covering age groups from 0-16, today Myntras Kids category has executed multiple successful brand launches and continues to gain market share. For 2021, their vision is two-fold - take a customer-first approach and ensure repeat customers. The team is gearing up for this festive season and the upcoming mega fashion carnival, the Big Fashion Festival by focusing on curated styles, regional selection, ethnic selection, new launches and much more.

While parents are always excited about shopping for their little ones, festive buying infuses a celebratory cheer in their childrens wardrobe. This is important even more now, as festive shopping can really be a mood lifter when most kids are celebrating festive occasions at home, adds Sonal.

Reflecting on the last few months and talking about her learning, she adds, "The Kids category was an emerging one and to make it bigger, our team had to interact with a lot of other functions and dig into the nitty-gritty. This included adapting to emerging fashion trends like comfort wear during the pandemic or co-ord sets for the festive season ensuring most in-demand sub-categories for kids are available. It made me stronger in pushing genuine use cases and improving my problem-solving skills," she says.

A few weeks back, Sonal took over the role of Category Head of Women's Ethnic Wear and Myntra has been an enabler in helping her easily transition to her new role and expand her learning horizon. Here again, she looks forward to a steep learning curve especially as this happens at the opportune time of the onset of the festive buying season where ethnic wear holds immense relevance for the fashion major. With her customer-first approach, Sonal is working with her new team on ensuring that the shopper finds all of their fashion needs at Myntra with many exciting launches and a well curated assortment in women's ethnic wear.

Another category in Myntra that witnessed a scintillating growth in 2020 is Lingerie and Loungewear. Anjul Baijal, associated with the organisation since 2019, has been instrumental in successfully scaling up this category. "The Lingerie and Loungewear category is a fashionable yet essential need for a woman's wardrobe," says Anjul.

In the last year, she and her team adopted strategies to meet pace with the growing needs of this category especially during the ongoing pandemic when loungewear is everyone's most preferred choice of attire. First, they developed strategic partnerships with existing brands on their platform to develop assortments catering to the times. "For those working from home, we had the WFH assortment where the top needs to be stylish for presentations and the bottom has to be something comfortable that you can step in and out any time," explains Anjul.

Second, the team onboarded close to 150 new sellers to provide a wider assortment to customers. And finally, they created content to educate customers on the intended use for different products. "Take for example seamless bras - we told customers why it's important to wear one under a semi-transparent top, what kind of neckline it would suit, etc. This helps them identify their needs easily and find the solution quickly," she says.

The Lingerie and Loungewear category has grown multifold under Anjuls leadership.

Anjul and her team are optimistic about the upcoming festive season, the team had started prepping for it well in advance, and is geared up to provide the best curated collection for the customers at attractives prices.

Anjul shares how Myntra's fair and transparent culture is key to the success of this category. "At Myntra, organisational priorities are identified, and every employee contributes to achieving it. Every individuals unique strengths are identified at the very beginning and tasks are allocated accordingly," she shares.

She adds how Myntra is a cheerleader for women empowerment and there's no dissipation based on gender, caste, colour or creed. "Myntra is a psychologically safe place for both men and women. You're mentally at peace and multiple benefits empower us to deliver our best," Anjul says.

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Ahead of the festive season, women leading various categories at Myntra gear up to deliver more than just a sh - YourStory

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16 low-cost ways to recognize and reward your startup team – Fast Company

Posted: at 10:57 am

Every leader wants to recognize their team members for their excellent work. But for a startupespecially one thats bootstrappedfinancial rewards may not be possible (for now). Still, when your startup team is putting in long hours and hard work to help you get your dream off the ground, you want to ensure they know that you see their efforts and just how much you appreciate them.

Fortunately, showing your team your thanks doesnt have to be expensiveyou just have to be creative and thoughtful. Below, 16 Fast Company Executive Board members offer their advice for entrepreneurs who want to recognize outstanding work from their team even when the budgets tight.

We cost-effectively celebrate excellent work by sharing our favorite customer reviews at the beginning of every team meeting. As a mission-driven company, all of our team members have joined because they believe in our mission. I cant think of a better way to celebrate our hard work than to hear how our product has positively impacted a customers life. Nathalie Walton, Expectful

While you may not have abundant financial resources, you have the advantage of a small team. Get to know them at deeper, personal levels. Send a gift that you know will matter to the individual, like a book of the month subscription for an avid reader or a bottle of scotch for a new dad who enjoys whiskey. And theres an added bonus: These gestures connect a personal passion with a positive memory of the company. Brian Price, cloudtamer.io

Since we are a virtual team, we have a Slack channel dedicated to Props. All team members are encouraged to give props to others in that channel, sharing why someone is being recognized. Its not only a great way for leaders to praise staff members, but its also a great way for individuals to support their peers. Its everyones favorite channel! Kristy Sammis, CLEVER

Aside from making a special mention of their work, you can reward stellar employees in other ways. You could give them more time off, the flexibility to work from anywhere, free access to business suite tools, and other perks. Offering training and educational opportunities are other great ways to show appreciation without creating a financial strain. Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

I think one of the best ways to recognize team members is to sing their praises on social channels. One of my favorite platforms to do this on is LinkedIn, which has a long shelf-life for posts relative to other social media channels. As long as you and your employees are comfortable, its a great space to validate and show gratitude for a team member amongst their professional network. Cody Barbo, Trust & Will

Make the recognition public so that other members of the team are aware, as well as partners and investors. Be clear on why they are being recognizedinclude not just the outcome, but what it is about them, personally, thats special. And give them a way to share the recognition theyve earned with their families, who are part of the public and are especially important stakeholders in your teams over-the-top efforts. Amy Radin, Pragmatic Innovation Partners LLC

Provide memorable experiences to recognize great achievements and to foster a stronger team bond. I have done everything from firewalking and zip-lining to cooking classes, dragon boat racing, and museum visitsjust to name a few. We have also built bikes for underprivileged kids, and we all got to see the kids pick up their bikes by working with a local charity. Get creative, and never stop celebrating! Andreea Vanacker, SPARKX5

Its important to showcase the team member and share their successes with the team. These types of shout-outs can be fulfilling in and of themselves. In addition, while it may not be easy to provide a large financial reward, a thoughtful token of appreciation, like a gift card to their favorite restaurant, can go a really long way. Lastly, dont forget to reward them for these efforts in the future. Fehzan Ali, Adscend Media LLC

Say thank you every day. Let the early members in on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Theyre not here for the paychecktheyre here to be part of something bigger than themselves, so its up to me to make sure they have full visibility into where were going and why they are mission-critical to our success. We also do a lot of small thingseven a pack of gum or a Pokmon card can say a lot. Meagan Bowman, STOPWATCH

Small gifts can have a tremendous impact. Setting up an internal rewards system in which colleagues can send flowers or deliver lunch to one another to thank them and recognize their contributions goes a long way toward strengthening the company culture. But outside of gifts, the best reward is often making sure they are recognized for their contributions by presenting to the board or externally! Jessica Federer

Perhaps your budget is tightso much so that you cant afford small gifts or gift cards. In that case, youd be surprised how effective it is to simply write handwritten notes. Thank you cards cost less than $1 each, but the handwritten aspect makes employees feel valued. My teams have really appreciated these over the years, and they do stand out in these days when handwritten notes are so rare. Kevin Namaky, Gurulocity Brand Management Institute

Its so important to constantly be on the lookout for the performance you want to cultivate in your team. Its easy to give your attention to things that go wrong, but encouraging whats working well is equally important. One thing I learned from our bootstrapped startup days is that finding great employees is not easy. If you have them, appreciate them. Reuben Yonatan, GetVoIP

Im a big fan of Daniel Pinks book, Drive. I believe that most employees are more motivated by mastery and autonomy than outside incentives. In my experience, the best rewards for creative innovators are autonomy, empowerment, and, ultimately, achievement. Ryan Anderson, Filevine

Giving people the option to move into bigger and more important roles by learning new skills can be a great way to let people take on the roles and responsibilities they want beyond what theyre doing now. If theyre killing it at their current level, let them take on a small amount of work from the next one so that when it is available, theyre confident and ready to perform at the next level. Noah Mitsuhashi, Portfolio Insider

Monetary incentives are not the only way to recognize the team. Another way is by asking for their insights and input and mentoring them to become leaders themselves. It doesnt cost a fortune to treat your team with the great values they deserve. Lane Kawaoka, SimplePassiveCashflow.com

No matter your budget, you will always be investing time and attention. Relish the accomplishments of others and foster an environment of shout-outs. Whether they come from the top or from peers, this cultivates an environment where your people can flourish. Authentic appreciation of impact is not only free but also produces a level of loyalty and motivation that money cannot buy. Liza Streiff, Knopman Marks Financial Training

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16 low-cost ways to recognize and reward your startup team - Fast Company

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Attack of the $200M robotic raises – TechCrunch

Posted: at 10:57 am

Hows this for a bit of regional synchronicity? This week, a pair of Chinese robotics firms secured $200 million rounds. Its all part of a booming ecosystem that we get some insight into every so often. There are so many players in Chinas robotics space it can be hard to keep track of some of the innovation over there, but these sorts of large funding rounds are a surefire way to make some waves.

The COVID-19 pandemic is anticipated to be a major acceleration point for the country, on the tail of some major manufacturing shortages that brought the worlds supply chains to a standstill. But this weeks pair of big raises point toward an adoption of automation that moves beyond manufacturing.

Image Credits: Hai Robotics

Hai Robotics grabbed the bigger headlines of the two with the announcement of a joint Series C and D that amount to $200 million. The companys Shenzhen location puts it smack in the heart of Chinas manufacturing zone, but the companys specialty is warehouse/fulfillment robotics. It already has a decent-sized international footprint with deployment in 30 countries, including a recent deal with Booktopia, a large Australian online book retailer.

5Y Capital and Capital Today led the C and D, respectively. The rounds also featured Sequoia Capital China, Source Code Capital, VMS, Walden International and Scheme Capital. The funding will be used to further Hais international expansion and build out its existing presence in China.

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/TechCrunch

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Keenon Robotics $200 million Series D flew under the radar a bit. The round was led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, with participation from CICC ALPHA and Prosperity7 Ventures. The company specializes in service robots not dissimilar from the sorts of robo-waiters weve seen from California-based Bear Robots. Its a sizable industry on its own, though the company has already begun expanding its use cases, including hotels and hospitals.

Image Credits: Keenon Robotics

Keenon says its robots have been deployed in the U.S., Europe, South Korea and Singapore, and the funding will go toward further expanding that footprint.

We believe robotic solutions can have a profound impact across the services industry by assisting with repetitive, tedious workflows, SoftBanks Kentaro Matsui said in a release. Using AI and machine learning, combined with advanced manufacturing capabilities, Keenon is building innovative robotics to help increase productivity for restaurants, hotels, and hospitals in China and globally.

Locus Robotics acquires Waypoint Robotics. Image Credits: Locus Robotics

Newly flush with cash, Locus Robotics (which seems to make its way into this roundup more often than not), has agreed to acquire Waypoint Robotics. Waypoint more or less operates in the same warehouse category as Locus. Its flagship product is Vector, an autonomous omnidirectional robot capable of moving around up to a 300-pound payload.

Locus is the proven leader in the development of highly productive and innovative AMR technology that efficiently solves our customers needs for total warehouse optimization, Locus CEO Rick Faulk said in a release. As order fulfillment and labor shortages continue to grow around the world, the acquisition of Waypoint Robotics will accelerate our ability to meet these global needs in just months rather than years, helping us drive the digital transformation of the warehouse.

Locus announced a $150 million Series E in February and an additional $50 million this month. The company is clearly looking to build a robust fulfillment ecosystem it hopes can probably compete with Amazons offering.

The first fruits of Boston Dynamics acquisition by Hyundai are finally arriving. The drably-named Factory Safety Service Robot is effectively a bespoke Spot robot designed to patrol factories, starting with a pilot at the Hyundai-owned Kia Plant in Seoul. The robot comes equipped with lidar and a thermal camera and can patrol the factory floor autonomously or be controlled remotely through a browser.

Image Credits: Nvidia

This week, Nvidia and Open Robotics announced a partnership that looks to be beneficial for both parties. Essentially, the agreement is designed to make Nvidias Jetson development platform and Open Robotics ROS 2 software work together. The deal is designed to speed up development time for roboticists using Nvidias perception technology.

As more ROS developers leverage hardware platforms that contain additional compute capabilities designed to offload the host CPU, ROS is evolving to make it easier to efficiently take advantage of these advanced hardware resources, Open Robotics CEO Brian Gerkey said in a release. Working with an accelerated computing leader like NVIDIA and its vast experience in AI and robotics innovation will bring significant benefits to the entire ROS community.

And hey, happy Disrupt week! Shout-out to RoboDeck, the deck maintenance robot. The company is competing in this weeks Startup Battlefield with a product they assure us is more than just Roomba, but for resealing your deck (to quote Gregs piece). The system applies sealant and uses built-in mapping technology to determine the edges of the surface to avoid falling off.

Image Credits: RoboDeck

The company has a prototype at the moment, capable of handling 500 square feet of deck in a charge. RoboDeck plans to offer the devices as an RaaS rental model when it comes to market. The company has thus far raised $500,000, with most of the funding coming from SOSV.

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Attack of the $200M robotic raises - TechCrunch

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Robotics and Blockchain Top Startup Genome’s List of Fastest-Growing Industries – Inc.

Posted: at 10:57 am

One of the year's biggest reportson entrepreneurship is out--and emerging technologies such as robotics and blockchain were the big winners.

According to the 2021 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) from Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network(GEN), the four fastest-growing industries globally areblockchain;advanced manufacturing and robotics;A.I. and big data;and agtech and new food.

The report measured growth by tracking early-stage funding deals from 2014 to 2020, in addition toother methods.Agtech and new food, which covers any type of technology that increases the efficiency of agriculture-related practices, had a128 percent increase in early-stagedeals over that period, the highest of the group.Blockchain was a close second with an increase of 121 percent.

The report detailedresearch on280geographic areas(termed "entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems")and three million startups from 2020 and 2021.

In 2020, "it became glaringly obvious that founders would be critical to global resilience and recovery," wrote JF Gauthier, founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Startup Genome, a research,advocacy, and consultingfirm for entrepreneurship, in a letter accompanying the study. He also celebrated the exodus of founders and companies from Silicon Valley to other hotspots in the U.S., spurred by remote work.

Still, Silicon Valley topped severallists in the report. The regionranked No.1for "performance success factor," which comprises a number of metricsrelated to funding, exits, and valuations of startups in the ecosystem. Italso topped allecosystemsin "Funding Success," which measures the number and experience levels of investors in a given location,and the availability of early-stage funding.

North America led global funding, accounting for50 percent of the top 30 ecosystems. Silicon Valley, New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles togethermade up 70 percent of North America's "ecosystem value,"a measureofstartup valuations and the value of exits in 2018, 2019, andthe first half of 2020.

Despite thedominance of those big cities, smaller areas shared some of the spotlight: Dallas and Houston each had their first unicorn in 2020, and the report identified top "Regional Challengers" such as Miami and Detroit.

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Robotics and Blockchain Top Startup Genome's List of Fastest-Growing Industries - Inc.

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AMP Robotics InstallsRecycling Robots in the UK and Ireland – waste360

Posted: at 10:57 am

DENVER AMP Robotics Corp. (AMP), a pioneer in AI, robotics, and infrastructure for the waste and recycling industry, has installed its first AI-guided robotics systems in the UK and Ireland with Recyco, a leading recycling and waste management business in Northern Ireland.

The project includes two robotsa single AMP Cortex unit along with a tandem unitinstalled on Recycos fibre lines for quality control to improve pick rates and bale purity. Recyco is the first deal closed with REP-TEC Advanced Technologies, AMPs recently appointed official reseller and integrator for customers in the UK and Ireland, with several other projects in negotiation.

Were delighted to bring our first robots to the UK and Ireland as we continue to see strong demand for our AI and automation solutions and build our pipeline in Europe, said Gary Ashburner, European general manager for AMP. Recyco has been a superb partner in this process, and recognizes our technology addresses chronic staffing challenges it and many recyclers face, while aligning with its goals of maximizing recovery, increasing landfill diversion, and advancing sustainability.

AMPs proprietary technology applies computer vision and deep learning to guide high-speed robotics systems to precisely identify, differentiate, and recover recyclables found in the waste stream by color, size, shape, opacity, and more, storing data about each item it perceives. AMPs sorting technology can pick upwards of 80 items per minute, about twice the pace of a human sorter, and the company has recorded up to 150 picks per minute with its tandem units. The companys AI platform can quickly adapt to packaging introduced into the recycling stream with recognition capabilities to the brand levelincreasingly critical as demand for sufficient quantities of high-quality recycled material grows to meet consumer packaged goods companies commitment to use of post-consumer recycled content.

"AMP's robots have quickly doubled the pick rates we were accustomed to, maintaining and even improving the purity of our bales, which we depend on to maximize prices with our end-market buyers," said Michael Cunningham, owner and CEO, Recyco. "We're proud to be leading the way for AI-powered recycling in these islands, and look forward to continued gains in productivity and efficiency."

Its great to have our first robotics installation go live this month, with the project running very smoothly from start to finish, said Colm Grimes, founder and CEO of REP-TEC. We started the installation on a Friday evening, and by Sunday evening, we had both Cortex systems ready for the shift starting the next morning. We were blown away with the identification accuracy of the AI given this is AMPs first installation in the UK.

AMP now has more than 160 systems installed globally, covering North America, Asia, and Europe.The companys AI platform, AMP Neuron, encompasses the largest known real-world dataset of recyclable materials for machine learning, with the ability to classify more than 100 different categories and characteristics of recyclables across single-stream recycling; e-scrap; and construction and demolition debris, and reaching an object recognition run rate of more than 10 billion items annually.

About AMP Robotics Corp.AMP Robotics is modernizing the worlds recycling infrastructure by applying AI and automation to increase recycling rates and economically recover recyclables reclaimed as raw materials for the global supply chain. The AMP Cortex high-speed robotics system automates the identification and sorting of recyclables from mixed material streams. The AMP Neuron AI platform continuously trains itself by recognizing different colors, textures, shapes, sizes, patterns, and even brand labels to identify materials and their recyclability. Neuron then guides robots to pick and place the material to be recycled. Designed to run 24/7, all of this happens at superhuman speed with extremely high accuracy. AMP Clarity provides data and material characterization on what recyclables are captured and missed, helping recycling businesses and producers maximize recovery. With deployments across North America, Asia, and Europe, AMPs technology recovers recyclables from municipal collection, precious commodities from electronic scrap, and high-value materials from construction and demolition debris.

AMP Robotics InstallsRecycling Robots in the UK and Ireland - waste360

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The all-girl Afghan robotics team is forging a new future in Qatar – Euronews

Posted: at 10:57 am

In the robotics laboratory at Texas A&M Universitys outpost in Qatar, members of the all-girl Afghan robotics team pore over their laptops and electronics, refining the projects they hope to enter into the global robotics competition.

The nine team members were evacuated from Kabul last month following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

In Qatar, they have been placed in one of three institutions depending on their needs with full scholarships granted by Doha.

Roya Mahboob, founder of an Afghan software company, helped form the team which went on to develop a low-cost ventilator last year at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the young women are now back in education and planning their futures, Mahboob says their thoughts are still with loved ones and other team members left behind in Afghanistan.

Right now, our programme is on pause, she said.

We only brought nine of our girls here - from 50 students. Thousands are still in Afghanistan, our mentor, our coaches are still in Afghanistan. Besides the robotic programme, we have thousands of other students that are in different programmes.

We cannot give up on them.

Team member Ayda Haydarpour, 17, who switched onto digital engineering after playing Super Mario as a child, said it was "too hard" to follow events in Afghanistan but hopes to return to open the first STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) school.

"My grandfather used to ask me lots of questions about his tablet and phone," she said.

"In Afghanistan, robotics is new, especially for women," Haydarpour, who has three sisters back in Afghanistan, added.

Her mother had worked as a teacher at a girls' high school, but the facility is yet to reopen following theTaliban takeover.

The Taliban had banned women from work and education, confining them to homes during their brutal rule of Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001.

In the wake of the chaotic US withdrawal from the country, Haydarpour now worries about the future and education of girls in her country.

"What will happen in Afghanistan?" she asks. "It's too hard to see your country in that situation."

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The all-girl Afghan robotics team is forging a new future in Qatar - Euronews

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Top Upcoming Robotics Competitions for Enthusiasts to Attend in 2022 – Analytics Insight

Posted: at 10:57 am

As competitions are always fun, especially when it is kids or adults wanting to learn and explore newer areas it is even more fun. But when it comes to robotics competition it is all different. Robot competitions bring people of diverse age groups such as students, researchers, and enthusiasts coming together to work in more challenging areas in the field of robotics. This will open doors to new opportunities driving new inventions. Robotics competitions allow for direct comparisons of different approaches to solving a task, as the participating teams have to operate their robots outside their labs in a different environment at a specific time. With such kinds of robotics competitions, it is possible to compare the various different approaches for robot construction and control directly.

When talking about students, these robot competitions give them opportunities to explore the robotics world and how computer programming, and robot design. It also helps them apply theoretical knowledge in practice on developing robot designs. Most popular robotics competitions such as robotic soccer championships like RoboCup and FIRA and other competitions for unmanned vehicles, like DARPA Grand Challenge, International Aerial Robotics Competition (IARC), and the European Land-Robot Trail (ELROB).

On the other side, MicroMouse where wheeled robots have to solve a maze, Robolymics, Robo-one, and AAI Robot competitions, where robots have to solve different tasks in a conference environment.

1 FIRST Championship: This is a four-day robotics competition held annually covering Challenges like LEGO, Tech, and Robotics. The first championships are going to be held between April 20th to April 23rd, 2022 in Houston, and April 27th to April 30th, 2022 in Detroit.