Ones to Watch: Robotics Startups Reimagining the World

From bionic limbs to underwater drones, a new wave of robotics companies is building the tools that will define our future. While headlines are often dominated by generalist humanoids, we’re more interested in the specialists - companies quietly turning science fiction into functional reality.

Here are five of the most exciting robotics businesses on our radar right now.

1 | Open Bionics – Bristol, UK

Starting life in a university lab and now backed by NHS and NatWest funding, Open Bionics is on a mission to make advanced prosthetics affordable and accessible. Its Hero Arm - a low-cost, 3D-printed bionic limb - is designed for below-elbow amputees and comes packed with features that would once have belonged in comic books. Known for turning disabilities into superpowers, Open Bionics has manufactured robotic arms for children as five in the style of their favourite superhero. 

We’re talking 360-degree wrist rotation, wireless muscle sensors, and a 35kg lifting capacity. Launched in April, Open Bionics is already expanding across the US with six new clinics planned - and redefining what assistive tech should look and feel like for children and adults alike.

2 | Medical Microinstruments (MMI) - Florida, USA & Pisa, Italy

Surgeons don’t need Iron Man suits - they need precision. MMI’s Symani Surgical System uses micro-robotics and tremor-reducing tech to help doctors operate on some of the most delicate structures in the human body.

Fresh off a $110 million Series C, the company is expanding rapidly and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in microsurgery. While its commercial headquarters are in Florida, much of the innovation happens in Pisa – a quiet robotics powerhouse in its own right.

3 | PAL Robotics – Barcelona, Spain

Since 2004, PAL Robotics has been building robots to help humans – not replace them. Its line-up of humanoid and mobile robots is designed to support workers in logistics, healthcare, manufacturing and research.

Whether it’s stocking shelves, transporting goods, or acting as a patient companion, PAL’s robots are built for real-world environments and are already in use across Europe and Asia. With ageing populations and tightening labour markets, we expect demand for PAL’s solutions to keep climbing.

4 | Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering – San Francisco, USA

Seagrass is a carbon-sequestering powerhouse, capturing carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. Restoring, though, is painfully slow and reliant on divers. Divers can only plant so much in unpredictable underwater environments. 

Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering, a San Francisco-based startup, is changing that with autonomous underwater drones to plant seagrass seeds 100 times faster and 10 times cheaper than divers. 

By combining marine science with robotics, Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering is solving a critical piece of the climate puzzle.

Backed by Lowercarbon Capital, Ulysses is a key player pushing the boundaries of climate tech in the ocean space. It combines ecological restoration with serious hardware engineering. It’s a compelling mix of hard tech, ecological urgency, and systemic impact. 

5 | PiB.rocks – Nuremberg, Germany

Think of PiB as a robotics starter kit. It’s a 3D-printable humanoid robot that anyone, from educators to hobbyists to researchers, can build themselves.

With modular parts, open-source software and an ethos of accessibility, PiB is opening up robotics to the many, not the few. 

As Jürgen Baier, founder of pib.rocks, said in an Onshape podcast: “We are on the brink of a robotic revolution. In a few years it will be possible to have a robot that is a reasonable member of a family or household.” 

It might not be your next factory assistant or surgical aide, but it could well be the reason your kid becomes friends with a robot. 

At Harpswood, we back the companies building a cleaner, fairer, better future – and robotics is one of the most exciting sectors we’re watching right now. If you're an investor, founder or policymaker with a stake in this space, we'd love to talk.

Get in touch with our team here.