2022年Cascadia Connect机器人、自动化和人工智能大会

2022 Conference Recap It has been a busy and eventful conference season so far for theCascadia Robotics, Automation & AI (“RAAI”) team, which included therecent Automate Show in Detroit and, of course, our very own CascadiaConnect Conference in Pittsburgh this May. Michael ButlerChairman & CEO206 436.2530mbutler@cascadiacapital.com Reflecting on our travels we wanted to revisit our event in Pittsburgh,formally thank again those of you who could make it, and share someof our reflections and takeaways from the program. We named ourevent “Connect” for a reason: to create connections among all of us inthe RAAI ecosystem that would start at the Conference and endureafter. Connections are what will help our ecosystem grow and evolve,and it was our goal to create an environment that would spur activedialogue and high-value networking for everyone – a goal we believewas achieved! Jamie BoydManaging Director206 436.2514jboyd@cascadiacapital.com Firdaus PohowallaManaging Director206 436.2578fpohowalla@cascadiacapital.com We were fortunate to have hosted this event in collaboration withCarnegie Mellon University, Innovation Works, and the PittsburghRobotics Network – all of whom have been instrumental in the region’semergence as a hotbed of innovation and will continue to be keyresources for the greater RAAI community. Yee LeeSenior Vice President206 436.2544ylee@cascadiacapital.com Jason LippenbergerSenior Vice President206 436.2542jlippenberger@cascadiacapital.com Over 330 people attended one or more of the week’s events includingthe cocktail reception at Kingfly Spirits, the panel discussions andkeynote speaker presentation, the dedicated networking opportunities,and the company and research lab tours. As can be expected from an event of this caliber, there are manytakeaways. We highlight some of the key takeaways below. CASCADIA CAPITAL Cascadia Capital is one of the firstinvestment banks in the countryto have a dedicated practicegroup to serve emerging growthcompanies in Robotics,Automation and ArtificialIntelligence (“RAAI”). Recognizingthe myriad of industries that willbe upended by RAAI technology inthe coming decade, Cascadia’sRAAI group will meet the growingdemand for M&A and capitalraising services in the market bytapping the firm’s existingindustry expertise. Key Takeaways & Highlights Launch of United States Alliance of Robotics Clusters The Pittsburgh Robotics Network, MassRobotics, and SiliconValley Robotics announced the formation of the United StatesAlliance of Robotics Clusters as founding members.The new alliance will advocate for the growing robotics industryand seek to deliver:−Increased collaboration and communication across U.S.robotics clusters−Enhancedsupport and success for stakeholders andstartups−Focused advocacy for the robotics and artificial intelligenceindustries−More information can be found atroboticsclusters.org Take risk, innovate, and focus on the realworld application for new technologies Dr.Matthew Johnson-Roberson,Director ofCarnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute,delivered an engaging keynote on the history ofrobotics and lessons learned for new roboticstechnologies. Most early robotics development was behindthe scenes, often at academic institutions, andthe industry has experienced a long arc to getto the current state of high-profile solutions.New robotics technologies need to focus onreal world milestones to avoid the hype cyclesand investor disillusionment that has beenwitnessedwith self-driving cars,therebyachieving a more sustainable path.Tellingthe story to investors is often asimportant asthe technology itself.In theabsence of an investor community in yourregion, it is essential to take your story on theroad to the right audience.There is a clear need for advisors and seasonedinvestors to be involved in helping earlier stagecompanies hone their presentation materialsand messaging. Robotics and automation are increasingly thepreferred solution to combat rising costs andprotect margin. Investorsare being more selective andpotentially more conservative Revenue backlog remains paramount for laterstage growth raises.This dynamic is causing larger Series A andSeries B rounds to allow companies to haveenoughrunway to meet their revenueprojectionsand potentially bridge anyheadwinds.Capital efficiency has become as important asTAM, team and technology when evaluatingnew investment opportunities, a departurefrom the past few years. Unit economics andmanaging to cash flow will be increasinglyimportantas market conditions remainvolatile for the foreseeable future.Structured equity is taking a more significantrole in the current climate, and the value theinvestor can bring (with recruiting, customers,boardadvice)to a Company can be asimportant as the capital.First impressions are critical, and companiesshould take time to make sure a target investoris focused in their area and do their homeworkbefore reaching out.Over time, the broader robot