ROBA Launches Open Robotics Platform to Challenge $218B Industry

ROBA’s launch directly addresses what founder Farid Hossain describes as the ‘fragmented nature of robotics development,’ where building intelligent systems typically requires navigating 10 or more scattered platforms and tools. The current robotics landscape forces every new idea to start from scratch, creating frustration instead of innovation. ROBA’s solution eliminates these proprietary stacks through an open ecosystem that guarantees creators full ownership of their data, assets, and revenue streams.

The platform’s core philosophy centers on transparency and user control, breaking robotics out of what the company calls ‘closed corporate silos.’ This approach directly addresses growing privacy concerns and the demand for decentralized platforms that are fueling the current robotics revolution. By ensuring creators retain full IP and data ownership, ROBA positions itself as an antidote to the walled gardens that have traditionally dominated robotics development.

ROBA’s platform is built around a comprehensive workflow that takes creators from initial concept to working robot through two core components. ROBA Studio provides comprehensive build support by connecting the best technologies in the market, including Data & AI Frameworks, Development Environment & Tools, and a powerful Simulation and template library—all presented within a unified GUI interface.

The ROBA Creator Hub serves as the central marketplace for sharing, versioning, and discovering robotics assets, models, and worlds. This hub includes key enablers like challenge and evaluation packs and a dynamic talent pool, creating what the company describes as the ‘one simple workflow’ that breaks closed silos. The platform is designed to allow developers to ‘learn fast in simulation, ship safely in reality,’ streamlining what was previously a complex and inefficient process.

ROBA Link functions as a critical middle layer that aggregates and connects existing third-party tools, SDKs, and APIs. This integration enhances the developer experience through agentic no-code capabilities, making the use of all developer tools seamless and intuitive. The system eliminates the need for developers to juggle multiple scattered solutions to build a single robot.

ROBA establishes what it calls the ‘first App Store for robots where contributors actually get paid,’ creating a community-focused model where financial incentives align between creators and users. The system is powered by the $ROBA utility token, which is used to pay for assets, reward contributors, and govern the platform via RobaDAO. Approximately 30% of $ROBA tokens are allocated to the ecosystem and rewards to ensure continuous compensation for contributors.

This tokenized economy enables automated royalty payments, allowing creators to generate income when their valuable assets are used. For instance, a student can upload a drone template, a startup can license it, and both parties get rewarded in tokens through the platform’s automated royalty system. This creates what ROBA describes as a model where ‘everyone becomes a stakeholder’ in the robotics ecosystem.

ROBA is built on a strong foundation, having been incubated with NextWave Incubator, which brings distribution and Go-To-Market acceleration capabilities. The company is also backed by strategic partners including Cogitent Ventures, with an initial raise securing $300,000 at a $3 million fully diluted valuation.

The leadership team brings substantial industry experience, with founder Farid Hossain having built and shipped humanoid, service, and kitchen robots since 2018. Interim CEO Sascha Reining brings expertise from Accenture, where he delivered multiple programs valued over $100 million. The advisory board features a Siemens Innovation Lead specializing in industrial automation strategy and a former Oculus/Meta Robotics Lead with deep experience in AR/VR and robotics strategy.

ROBA’s long-term vision centers on what it calls ‘Design-to-Doorstep Robotics,’ aiming to transform complex robotics into accessible, personal technology. The goal is to enable anyone to customize a robot shell, build its ‘brain’ using the no-code studio, and have the fully assembled robot delivered ready to operate. This vision aligns with industry experts who predict that human robotics will see exponential growth and inevitably overtake the automotive industry.

As Hossain explained, the inspiration for ROBA came from his previous experience where ‘building robots usually requires multiple tools across different platforms, which is complex and inefficient.’ By creating a single unified platform where everything could come together, ROBA aims to make robot creation ‘simpler, faster and more accessible’ while enabling intelligent robots to ‘learn, adapt and connect through the blockchain and AI.’ The platform positions itself to dominate what it describes as a new era of hypergrowth in robotics.