ROBA Launches ‘Hugging Face of Robotics’ Open Platform

ROBA’s launch addresses what founder Farid Hossain describes as the ‘fragmented nature of robotics development’ that forces innovators to navigate multiple platforms and tools. The current robotics landscape, projected to reach $218 billion by 2030, has been characterized by closed corporate systems that require developers to use 10 or more fragmented platforms to build a single robot. This complexity has historically stifled innovation rather than fostering it.

The Dubai-based company’s core innovation lies in its commitment to transparency and user control. Unlike traditional robotics platforms, ROBA ensures creators maintain full ownership of their data, assets, and revenue streams. This approach directly responds to growing privacy concerns and the increasing demand for decentralized platforms that are driving the current robotics revolution. The platform’s philosophy enables developers to ‘learn fast in simulation, ship safely in reality,’ bridging the gap between virtual testing and real-world deployment.

ROBA’s ecosystem is built around a streamlined ‘Build → Train → Share → Monetize’ workflow through two core components. ROBA Studio provides comprehensive build support by integrating the market’s best technologies, including Data & AI Frameworks, Development Environment & Tools, and a powerful Simulation library, all accessible through a unified graphical interface. This eliminates the need for developers to juggle multiple disconnected tools.

The ROBA Creator Hub serves as the central marketplace for sharing, versioning, and discovering robotics assets, models, and virtual worlds. Enhanced by challenge and evaluation packs alongside a dynamic talent pool, this hub transforms how robotics components are distributed and improved. The recent addition of ROBA Link further strengthens this unified approach by aggregating existing third-party tools, SDKs, and APIs through an agentic no-code layer that makes developer tools seamless and intuitive to use.

ROBA introduces a revolutionary economic model powered by the $ROBA utility token, creating what the company describes as ‘the first App Store for robots where contributors actually get paid.’ This system aligns financial incentives between creators and users, with approximately 30% of $ROBA tokens allocated to ecosystem rewards and continuous contributor compensation. The token serves multiple functions: paying for assets, rewarding contributors, and governing the platform through RobaDAO.

The platform’s monetization mechanism enables automated royalty payments, allowing scenarios where a student uploading a drone template and a startup licensing it both receive token rewards. This community-focused model establishes ROBA as more than just a development platform—it becomes an economic ecosystem where every participant can benefit financially from their contributions. The $ROBA token thus becomes the lifeblood of a new robotics economy where value flows directly to creators.

ROBA emerges with substantial industry backing, having secured $300,000 in initial funding at a $3 million fully diluted valuation. The company benefits from incubation with NextWave Incubator, which provides distribution and go-to-market acceleration, along with strategic support from Cogitent Ventures. This financial foundation positions ROBA for rapid scaling in the competitive robotics market.

The leadership team combines deep robotics expertise with significant corporate scaling experience. Founder Farid Hossain brings hands-on robotics experience, having built and shipped humanoid, service, and kitchen robots since 2018. Interim CEO Sascha Reining, formerly of Accenture, contributes expertise in scaling new projects and delivering programs valued over $100 million. The advisory board further strengthens ROBA’s position with representation from Siemens’ innovation leadership for industrial automation strategy and former Oculus/Meta robotics leadership for AR/VR and robotics strategy.

ROBA’s long-term ambition centers on what it calls ‘Design-to-Doorstep Robotics’—transforming complex robotics into accessible personal technology. This vision envisions a future where anyone can customize a robot shell, build its intelligence using no-code tools in ROBA Studio, and receive a fully assembled, operational robot delivered ready for use. The company believes this approach will make robotics as personal and accessible as smartphones are today.

This vision aligns with expert predictions that human robotics will experience exponential growth, potentially surpassing the automotive industry in scale and impact. By positioning itself at the intersection of open development, blockchain economics, and user-friendly interfaces, ROBA aims to dominate what it describes as a new era of hypergrowth in robotics. The platform’s combination of technical innovation and economic incentives creates a foundation for widespread adoption beyond traditional robotics applications.