A universal robotics software company spun out of the University of Sheffield has closed a £4m seed round of funding.
BOW – which stands for ‘Bettering our Worlds’ – aims to reduce the cost and complexity of programming robots via a platform and robot-agnostic software development kit.
The company says it has made it possible for the first time to program different robots using the operating system and programming language of choice. Developers can also port applications between different makes of robot and manage and orchestrate robot fleets.
Spun out in 2020, BOW is now working with original equipment manufacturers, system integrators and software development houses who are using the platform and SDK to accelerate their robotics innovation and application development.
The round was led by Northern Gritstone, the investment business focused on science and technology businesses in the North of England, with co-investors Finance Yorkshire and Praetura Ventures as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
It follows the appointment in November 2024 of Liz Upton, co-founder of Raspberry Pi, as chair of BOW’s board.
“The robotics market is growing fast, but that growth would be exponentially higher if the tremendous cost and complexity of programming robots were reduced,” said Nick Thompson, CEO of BOW.
“Robotics has an almost unlimited potential to help humanity solve global challenges, but the world simply can’t afford to wait for robotics to standardise around a single operating system and coding language.”
Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone, added: “Northern Gritstone is delighted to support BOW’s team, who once again demonstrate that world-leading technology businesses are being created in the North of England. BOW’s groundbreaking robotics platform is a perfect example of innovation in the region born out of the University of Sheffield’s world-class academic research.”
Professor Sue Hartley, vice-president for research and innovation at the University of Sheffield, said: “It is fantastic to see this level of funding being invested into one of our spinout companies.
“Academics at Sheffield are working at the very forefront of their fields, conducting research that can underpin new businesses and help develop new market-leading technologies.
“Our university is one of the best in the country for developing IP and commercialising research and investment such as this from Northern Gritstone is crucial in helping our spinout companies grow.”