The robotics market is projected to reach $260 billion by 2030. However, while exciting demos of robots proliferate our social feeds, the full potential of robotics is out of reach for most companies and independent developers because of the high cost and complexity of programming robots – a task that currently requires the expertise of specialised roboticists. Applications developed successfully for one model of robot lack portability to different makes of robot, further slowing robotics innovation and adoption.
The BOW platform, which stands for “Bettering our Worlds” and the BOW robot-agnostic software development kit (SDK) solve this industry bottleneck. They make it possible to program different robots using the operating system and programming language of choice.
£4M funding for robotics software company
The Sheffield-based robotics software startup BOW has grabbed £4 million in seed funding led by Northern Gritstone (which backed adsilico and Exciting Instruments), the investment business focused on science and technology businesses in the North of England, with co-investors Finance Yorkshire and Praetura Ventures (which invested in AccessPay and Sprout.ai), as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II. This news follows the appointment in November 2024 of Liz Upton, Co-Founder of Raspberry Pi as Chair of BOW’s board.
The investment will allow the company to accelerate platform and SDK development and scale to meet growing customer and developer demand. These will allow any software developer to program robots using the operating system and programming language of their choice.
Democratises robotics programming
BOW was originally spun-out from the University of Sheffield in 2020 by Nick Thompson and Daniel Camilleri. By removing the need for highly-specialised robotics programmers, its universal robotics platform allows generalist software developers to create, manage and deploy complex robotics applications and opens up valuable new use cases in sectors that have previously been underserved by robotics. Robots running the BOW SDK benefit from ultra-fast communications and the platform’s AI capabilities.
Key capabilities of BOW’s platform:
- Enable rapid creation and deployment of robotics applications.
- Seamlessly port applications across different robot models.
- Orchestrate robot fleets, even with varying hardware.
This platform empowers sectors previously underserved by robotics—including manufacturing, health care, live events, and home care—to unlock new use cases and efficiencies.
The company is 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.
Can it revolutionise robotics programming?
BOW has raised £4 million in seed funding to disrupt the robotics industry by addressing its most persistent challenge: programming complexity. Backed by prominent investors, BOW’s universal SDK allows developers to program robots across different platforms using their preferred coding languages, eliminating the need for specialised roboticists.
The robotics market has long been hampered by fragmented ecosystems and non-portable applications. BOW’s platform empowers generalist developers to create, deploy, and manage robotics applications with ease, accelerating innovation across underserved sectors. By envisioning a future where robotics programming is as accessible as app development, BOW is positioned as a global leader in transforming robotics into a mainstream technology.
Duncan Johnson, CEO of Northern Gritstone said, “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.”
Nick Thompson, CEO of BOW added, “The robotics market is growing fast, but that growth would be exponentially higher if the tremendous cost and complexity of programming robots were reduced. 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. BOW’s universal software platform and SDK elegantly solve this intractable problem by enabling any software developer to program various types of robots using the coding language of their choice, make portable applications and enable easy interoperability between any make and model of robot. This £4 million seed investment, led by Northern Gritstone, will be used to build on our strong commercial traction to date, expand our brilliant team and accelerate our product development so we can unleash the full potential of robotics for the betterment of our world.”
Daniel Camilleri, CTO and Founder of BOW said, “This investment is a defining moment for BOW. It not only validates our vision but also underscores the growing demand for cross-platform compatibility in robotics software. By simplifying robotics programming, we’re opening the door for all developers—not just roboticists—to shape the future of robotics. With BOW software, we’re enabling the ‘there’s an app for that’ revolution within the robotics industry.”
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.”
