Innovate
DroidDepot joins spARK Labs by ARK Invest incubator
The company helps customers rent, demo, lease or buy commercial robots.
DroidDepot founder Sef Mutari is betting that robotics will be a key part of the future.
He launched the Tampa Bay area-based company just a few months ago. The organization helps customers rent, demo, lease or buy commercial robots, and provides fit checks and deployment support. Currently, Mutari and his team are working on pilot projects.
For Mutari, it was only fitting to join the St. Petersburg-based spARK Labs by ARK Invest incubator. An official announcement was made last month.
“I was looking at the current developments in the world with artificial intelligence and robotics and I felt that, especially here locally, we need to create economies around robotics,” Mutari explained. “We can embrace these technologies and build new jobs here in the Tampa Bay area.”
DroidDepot founder Sef Mutari. Photo provided.
For example, he discussed how robots can be leased in a similar way to vehicles. This could become a sustainable industry in the region, Mutari believes. More so, it can help “increase performance and lower the cost for businesses and people to do their jobs.”
“From an economic perspective, automation always wins,” he said. “The train will not stop. If we don’t do it, someone else will do it, especially from outside of the United States. I think we need to basically invest more, automate and make humans’ lives easier, especially with regards to repetitive jobs.”
Mutari explained that there is a big gap in the market. Many manufacturers do not know where to deploy their products or what the best use cases are. Currently, DroidDepot is working with United States-based robotics startups to supply the products to customers. However, the organization has also developed its own robotic design.
People can go to DroidDepot’s website and browse a selection of robots. Mutari said that individuals can provide more information on use cases, their budget and other factors to help choose a machine. Artificial intelligence will then help ensure that the selected product can complete the tasks per the customer’s specifications.
Before launching DroidDepot, Mutari knew ARK Invest founder Cathie Wood and spARK Labs by ARK Invest president and CEO Becca Brown.
“With how they see the future, I felt that the best thing I could do was join spARK Labs,” he explained. “I’m getting access to the network, community and have a place there, basically if needed, where we can build the robotics.”
Mutari added that he is in conversations with the University of South Florida to “get more resources to get this going.” The backend for the business, he said, is complicated because it involves both hardware and software.
The brainstorm sessions at spARK Labs by ARK Invest have helped Mutari understand “what other founders are going through from an operational standpoint.” He added that the experience has provided invaluable feedback and help.
“Having a community, especially for a founder, is really important,” Mutari added. “Sometimes you feel like you are lost or basically lonely.”
The incubator has also helped him position the business in the community.
“Robotics will play an increasingly important role across industries, helping businesses automate critical functions, improve productivity and solve complex operational challenges,” said Brown in a statement prepared for the Catalyst. “DroidDepot’s enterprise-focused model is a great example of how robotics is moving from possibility to practical application, and we’re excited to have Sef building that future here in St. Petersburg.”
