Propel-AIR 2.0 opens to boost Australian robotics links

MassRobotics has completed a five-day visit to Australia to coincide with the opening of entries for Propel-AIR 2.0, a national sprint programme focused on robotics and artificial intelligence.

The tour brought Joyce Sidopoulos, co-founder, and Marita McGinn, director of growth, from the Boston-based nonprofit to events in Brisbane and Sydney. It centred on meetings with researchers, startup founders, manufacturers and innovation groups, as well as a launch event at ARM Hub in Brisbane.

Propel-AIR 2.0 targets Australian robotics startups, scaleups and other innovators. The top team receives a one-month residency at MassRobotics in Boston, including mentorship, investor introductions and scheduled visits to organisations such as Boston Dynamics and MIT. After the residency, the winner pitches to investors in Silicon Valley and exhibits at RoboBusiness in California.

Brisbane launch

The Brisbane programme began at ARM Hub's Holland Street site and included a visit from Queensland Assistant Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Amanda Stoker. Sidopoulos and McGinn also led a session on commercialisation pathways and access to overseas markets.

ARM Hub then hosted an open day that also served as the Propel-AIR 2.0 launch. The event included a robotics showcase featuring ADR, The Fish Girl, ProTX, Stratoship, Verbotics and the QUT Banana Project. It also featured an address from Professor Roy Green and a series of roundtables with representatives from state and federal government, industry specialists and academics.

"It was great to have the right people in the right place to have the conversations that turn into real opportunities for Australian robotics companies," said Professor Cori Stewart, CEO and founder of ARM Hub.

The Brisbane programme also included demonstrations focused on food processing and manufacturing automation. These reflected areas where Australian organisations are turning to robotics to address productivity pressures and workforce constraints. Several participating companies have positioned their work around industrial use cases rather than consumer robotics, aligning with demand from manufacturers and logistics operators.

Sydney meetings

The Sydney leg shifted the emphasis to universities and the broader innovation community. Sessions were held at UNSW, the University of Sydney, UTS and Western Sydney University. Topics included global investment trends in robotics and what local ventures need to consider when preparing for international expansion.

MassRobotics also joined a fireside discussion hosted by Jacqui Hunter at Stone & Chalk. The gathering drew members of Sydney's startup and investment networks and focused on market direction for robotics and embodied AI.

The visitors also took part in a meeting with Amazon, chaired by the Committee for Sydney. The session brought together industry leaders to discuss the commercial outlook for robotics across Australian business.

Programme context

Propel-AIR is part of a broader push to connect Australian robotics ventures with overseas networks and capital. For startups, access to reference customers and distribution partners can shape early traction as much as technical progress. For manufacturers, a pipeline of local robotics suppliers matters as they weigh automation projects against imported systems.

MassRobotics' model focuses on providing workspace, mentoring and industry connections for robotics ventures in Boston's Innovation District. It reports supporting more than 200 startups, which it says have raised more than USD $1 billion in funding and created more than 600 jobs.

ARM Hub, based in Brisbane, is one of four government-backed AI Adopt Centres in Australia. It works with manufacturers, SMEs, researchers and technology companies on automation and AI projects.

Previous winner

The 2025 Propel-AIR winner was Dominic Lindsay, founder of Melbourne startup Nexobot. Nexobot is now completing a USD $2 million seed round, according to the organisations involved in the programme.

Lindsay has linked the programme's visibility to his company's commercial momentum.

"The really big uptick was once we won and once we got that publicity, it really just started to take off," said Lindsay.

Entries for Propel-AIR 2.0 are now open, with the next cohort expected to lead to a Boston residency and US investor pitching opportunities later in the year.