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ARM Hub is hosting senior leaders from Boston-based MassRobotics for a week-long visit to Australia, timed with the launch of Propel-AIR 2.0, an AI and robotics accelerator.
Joyce Sidopoulos, MassRobotics Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, and Marita McGinn, Director of the MassRobotics Accelerator, will spend the first part of the visit in Brisbane before travelling to Sydney for meetings with universities and industry.
Program launch
Propel-AIR 2.0 will be launched at ARM Hub in Brisbane, with Minister for Industry and Science Tim Ayres scheduled to open entries for the latest intake. The agenda includes demonstrations from QUT, The Fish Girl, Roo-VER, Verbotics and Dominic Lindsay from NexoBot, winner of the 2025 Propel-AIR program.
Propel-AIR 2.0 targets Australian robotics startups, scaleups and other innovators, linking local teams with mentors and industry networks. The winning team receives a one-month residency at MassRobotics in Boston.
The residency includes mentorship, investor connections, and scheduled visits to organisations such as Boston Dynamics and MIT.
MassRobotics is a non-profit that supports robotics entrepreneurs from Boston's Innovation District. It says it has supported more than 200 start-ups, which have collectively raised more than $1 billion and created more than 600 jobs.
Sidopoulos said the organisations have worked together for several years.
"We've been collaborating with ARM Hub for the past couple of years, and it's been exciting to support and watch Australia's robotics ecosystem mature," Sidopoulos said.
She said the trip would focus on commercialisation lessons and stronger ties with local founders and researchers.
"This visit is about deepening those connections-sharing what we've learned about robotics commercialisation, learning from Australian universities and startups, and celebrating the launch of Propel-AIR 2.0. Programs like this create a powerful bridge between local innovation and global opportunity, and we're thrilled the winner will spend a month at MassRobotics building relationships and accelerating their path to market," she said.
Industry sessions
ARM Hub has scheduled closed-door industry sessions and showcase presentations in Brisbane, alongside interactive workshops for startups and university robotics groups. Topics include commercialisation pathways and global market opportunities.
After Brisbane, the MassRobotics delegation will travel to Sydney for university sessions and industry meetings at UNSW Sydney, the University of Sydney, UTS and Western Sydney University.
Meetings with Amazon and other industry stakeholders are also scheduled during the Sydney leg of the visit.
Sessions will cover global traction areas for robotics and embodied AI, as well as investment themes and customer discovery practices for Australian ventures.
National context
ARM Hub is part of a broader set of national initiatives aimed at lifting AI adoption across Australian industry. It is one of four government-backed AI Adopt Centres and is based in Brisbane.
Its work spans manufacturing and small and medium-sized businesses, as well as researchers and technology companies, with a focus on automation and AI in operational settings.
ARM Hub CEO and Founder Professor Cori Stewart described the MassRobotics visit as a timely link to an established overseas robotics network.
"Australia's robotics ecosystem is at a turning point. Having MassRobotics here to launch Propel-AIR 2.0 connects our innovators directly to one of the world's leading robotics hubs, right when our National AI Action Plan is creating momentum for embodied AI adoption," Stewart said.
Entries for Propel-AIR 2.0 are set to open at the launch event, with ARM Hub and MassRobotics planning ongoing engagement with applicants throughout the accelerator process.