Semiconductor giant Analog Devices (ADI) is preparing an “Emerging Tech Hub” to support startups and established companies in robotics. The initiative is designed to provide joint development with in-house engineers, prototyping and testing facilities, and expertise in manufacturing and procurement. Applications from outside companies are expected to open by the end of 2026.
The gap between a prototype that works and a product that keeps working
New capabilities in robotics—from humanoids to autonomous robots—are emerging at astonishing speed. But ADI identifies the challenge not as keeping up with the technology itself, but as turning a successful prototype into a commercial product that can be manufactured and deployed at scale.
Startups are adept at adopting next-generation technologies such as sensing, control, and AI, but commercialization requires different expertise in circuit design, system integration, validation, and manufacturing. For small teams, the burden can mount quickly at this stage.
A prototype has done its job if it shows that a technology works. But for a product, the entire system must operate reliably even when the environment in which it is used changes. ADI views this process in four stages: “idea,” “prototype,” “validation,” and “scale.” The first two stages turn a concept into something tangible and demonstrate it; validation is where the assembled system is tested, problems are identified, and the design is refined. At the scale stage, companies must also secure components, coordinate production, and put systems in place to maintain quality as volumes grow.
Another point not to overlook is that a robot’s behavior depends on multiple functions working together. A white paper on physical AI that ADI contributed to explains that sensing, signal conversion, perception, reasoning, control, computing, and validation must work as an integrated whole. Even if AI makes the right decision, without accurate sensor data, properly timed control signals, and enough power to drive actuators, that decision cannot translate into action. It is a matter of designing not just the brain, but also the nerves and muscles.
One Point of Contact for Everything from Technical Advice to Production Readiness
Emerging Tech Hub is a robotics-focused initiative taking shape within ADI’s Analog Garage. It aims to connect startups and established robotics companies with ADI engineering teams working on new and developing technologies. Cameron Biron, a senior product technology manager at ADI, describes this approach as “co-development.”
When a company reaches out, the first step is to assess its current level of technical maturity and its goals, then determine how those align with the hub’s focus. From there, ADI decides what form of collaboration is appropriate. A mature development company may need a specific semiconductor component, while another may need ADI to identify in-house experts who can address a particular challenge. Early-stage startups, meanwhile, may benefit from broader guidance, such as refining their architecture and identifying future development challenges.
There are three pillars to the support.
### Three Areas of Support
The first is technical expertise spanning robotics, control, edge AI, power, and system integration. The second is development resources, including research facilities, prototyping tools, reference designs, testing and validation capabilities, and hands-on technical support. The third is procurement advice and industry connections for companies looking to ramp up production.
Biron says ADI has recruited robotics experts from across the industry. One example he cited is ADI’s GMSL technology, used to connect cameras. The idea is not simply to select components, but to help companies determine how the technology fits into the robot as a whole.
This may seem like a somewhat technical issue to general readers. But as robots become more common in warehouses, factories, and city streets, the depth of this behind-the-scenes design support will affect product reliability. Behind the flashy demo videos, a framework is taking shape to shorten the path to mass production.
Whether Collaboration Can Preserve Startups’ Independence
Partnering with a large company offers access to expertise and facilities that would be difficult to build independently. At the same time, startups may worry that it could slow development or erode their control over the technology. Biron acknowledges that some startups hesitate to collaborate because they worry about what a relationship with a large company might mean for their own business.
Even so, Biron sees opportunity when both sides are clear about their intentions. ADI wants to expand robotics applications that use its semiconductors. Startups, for their part, can gain expertise and resources they would struggle to develop on their own. The clearer each side is about what it hopes to achieve, he says, the better the relationship works.
The Emerging Tech Hub is built around the same model: ADI is offering a collaborative, flexible approach tailored to startups. Its principles also include allowing startups to retain their intellectual property, so they can receive support without giving up ownership of their technology.
These issues will also be discussed at the “Robotics Startup Boot Camp Part 2” session at RoboBusiness on October 20, 2026. Colm Prendergast, head of the Emerging Tech Hub, is set to join representatives from MassRobotics and WiBotic to discuss how to pursue proofs of concept and pilot projects, how companies evaluate potential partners, and how to balance startup agility with the processes of large companies.
The next challenge for the robotics industry
The robotics industry is entering a phase in which companies must not only build working prototypes but also manufacture them without compromising quality and deliver them to the field. The Emerging Tech Hub is being prepared as an initiative to bridge that gap.
Participation by outside companies remains limited, and applications are expected to open by the end of 2026. What kinds of companies will join and what products will emerge once applications open? Whether the initiative can narrow the gap between prototyping and mass production should become clear through the examples of collaboration that take shape from here.
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