Robot dogs, AI-powered food processing, and “embodied AI”—it sounds like a scene from a sci-fi novel, but for a week in February, it was just business as usual across Brisbane and Sydney.
If you needed proof that the Australian robotics sector is ready to compete on the global stage, you only had to look at who was in town. MassRobotics, the Boston-based heavyweights of the robotics world, recently wrapped up a five-day national tour, and their verdict was clear: Australia’s ecosystem is booming.
Co-Founder Joyce Sidopoulos and Director of Growth Marita McGinn visited from the US to launch Propel-AIR 2.0, Australia’s dedicated robotics and AI accelerator. But their trip also highlighted a local sector that is rapidly maturing, attracting investment, and solving real-world problems.
Rise of Robotics: From Boston to Brisbane
The tour kicked off at the ARM Hub in Brisbane, where the “who’s who” of the industry gathered. From The Fish Girl’s seafood processing tech to the QUT Banana Project and Verbotics, the showcase demonstrated the extent to which local startups are building cool gadgets and revolutionising manufacturing and supply chains.
The vibe on the ground? Collaboration. “It was great to have the right people in the right place to have the conversations that turn into real opportunities for Australian robotics companies,” noted ARM Hub CEO and Founder Professor Cori Stewart.
Embodied AI and The Next Wave
Moving south to Sydney, the conversation shifted toward the future of “embodied AI”—where artificial intelligence leaves the screen and enters the physical world through robots.
In sessions at UNSW, UTS, and the University of Sydney, industry leaders discussed where robotics is gaining the most traction globally. The consensus is that investors are hungry for hardware that can think, and Australian research is right at the cutting edge of this shift.
It wasn’t all academic, either. A visit to Pymble Girls’ School to witness the school’s impressive work on robotics and STEM games to a fireside chat at Stone & Chalk and a strategy session with Amazon highlighted the growing seriousness with which the global tech sector is approaching the “Australian opportunity.”
Your Turn to Launch: Propel-AIR 2.0
For founders watching this momentum and wondering how to get involved, the door is now wide open.
The tour marked the official opening of Propel-AIR 2.0, a program designed to give Australian robotics startups a direct pathway to the US market.
The winning team secures a one-month residency at MassRobotics in Boston, arguably the capital of the robotics world, complete with mentorship, investor introductions, and visits to icons like Boston Dynamics and MIT. The winner will also pitch to Silicon Valley investors and exhibit at RoboBusiness in California later this year.
It’s a formula that works. Dominic Lindsay, the 2025 winner and founder of Melbourne startup Nexobot, credits the program for kickstarting his company’s growth.
“The really big uptick was once we won and once we got that publicity, it really just started to take off,” says Lindsay, whose startup is now closing a $2 million seed round.
Ready to take your robotics startup global? Entries for Propel-AIR 2.0 are now open. If you’re innovating in robotics or AI, this could be your ticket to Boston.
👉 Enter here: www.aiadopt.ai/propel-air
