August Robotics

The company's business model is centered on the development and deployment of autonomous robots for specific industries. Its flagship product, Lionel, is an autonomous floor marking robot initially designed for the exhibitions industry to streamline the setup process for events. This robot fully automates the marking of digital plans onto the ground, offering greater speed and accuracy than manual methods. Recognizing its broader potential, August Robotics has adapted Lionel for the construction and industrial fitout sectors. Another commercially deployed product is Diego, a disinfection robot that uses UV-C light for hospital-grade surface and air sanitation, capable of moving autonomously between rooms. The company leverages a proprietary, modular technology platform that enables it to develop and launch new robots for different applications relatively quickly and affordably.

August Robotics has secured significant financial backing to fuel its research and development and global expansion. It raised $3.7 million in a seed round in mid-2018, followed by a Series A funding round of $9.3 million in mid-2020. The COVID-19 pandemic, while halting the exhibition industry, provided the company with a focused period to advance its R&D, leading to the release of the Diego disinfection robot later that year. Key investors include Blackbird Ventures, Grok Ventures, and Tanarra Capital. The firm's strategy involves identifying labor-intensive commercial workflows and creating robotic solutions that are efficient, reliable, safe, and simple to use.