<![CDATA[Robotics.Scaled]]>After spending more than a decade helping robotics, drone, autonomous systems, and deep tech companies bring innovative technologies to market, Vanessa Warncke became fascinated by one question:

What separates the companies that scale from those that don't?

That question became the foundation of ROBOTICS.SCALED.

Each episode features honest conversations with founders, operators, researchers, and investors who are building the future of robotics. Together, they unpack what it really takes to turn breakthrough technology into successful businesses—from finding product-market fit and landing early customers to fundraising, commercialization, go-to-market strategy, and scaling globally.

Whether you're building a robotics startup, working in AI or automation, investing in deep tech, or simply curious about where robotics is headed, you'll find practical insights and real stories from the people shaping the industry.

]]>linkedin.com/company/vantasticsRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Fri, 11 Sep 2026 03:20:15 GMTFri, 24 Jul 2026 13:08:36 GMT60Vanessa Warncke<p>After spending more than a decade helping robotics, drone, autonomous systems, and deep tech companies bring innovative technologies to market, Vanessa Warncke became fascinated by one question:<br /><br />What separates the companies that scale from those that don't?<br /><br />That question became the foundation of ROBOTICS.SCALED.<br /><br />Each episode features honest conversations with founders, operators, researchers, and investors who are building the future of robotics. Together, they unpack what it really takes to turn breakthrough technology into successful businesses—from finding product-market fit and landing early customers to fundraising, commercialization, go-to-market strategy, and scaling globally.<br /><br />Whether you're building a robotics startup, working in AI or automation, investing in deep tech, or simply curious about where robotics is headed, you'll find practical insights and real stories from the people shaping the industry.</p>episodicVanessa Warnckevanessa@vantastics.techno<![CDATA[The Hidden Cost of Scaling a Robotics Company]]>What does it really take to go from deploying a few robots to thousands of robots at scale?

In this episode of Robotics.Scaled, Vanessa sits down with a former GM EMEA at Tennant to break down the commercial and operational decisions that separate promising robotics companies from those that actually become global robotics leaders.

The conversation goes beyond hardware and impressive demos. They explore what happens when a robotics company moves from pilots and early customers into large-scale deployments—where customer success, training, service infrastructure, site readiness, reliability, partner strategy, and profitability suddenly become just as important as the robot itself.

One of the biggest lessons: selling the first robot is not the real sale.

The real challenge is making the robot so reliable and valuable that customers want 10, 100, or even 1,000 more.

They discuss how robotics startups should build repeatable deployment systems, standardize customer onboarding, manage expectations, create strong customer success teams, choose the right partners, avoid over-customization, and identify the use cases that can genuinely scale.

The episode also explores why many robotics businesses struggle with profitability even after successfully selling robots—and why service costs, software issues, operator training, and poor deployment processes can quietly destroy margins.

Timestamps

00:00 - 01:03 | Trailer on Scaling Robotics Beyond Pilots
01:03 - 02:10 | Podcast Introduction and Guest Background
02:10 - 03:56 | Designing Robots for Global Deployment
03:56 - 06:25 | Stakeholders, Expectations, and Site Readiness
06:25 - 08:30 | Building a Repeatable Deployment Model
08:30 - 10:15 | Standardization, Data, and Robot Monitoring
10:15 - 13:01 | Selling Peace of Mind, Not Just Robots
13:01 - 15:35 | Business Case, Hidden Costs, and Labor Challenges
15:35 - 18:53 | Customer Success, Training, and Change Management
18:53 - 25:36 | Partner Strategy and Ideal Partner Profile
25:36 - 28:30 | Profitability, Service Burden, and Partner Dependency
28:30 - 31:02 | Scalable Use Cases and Strategic Focus
31:02 - 33:10 | Software Ownership, Outsourcing, and Lock-In Risks
33:10 - 36:59 | Business Model, Deployment Ownership, and Fleet Insights
36:59 - 38:11 | Scaling from Hundreds to Thousands of Robots
38:11 - 40:11 | AI Readiness, Mind Marks, and Closing Thoughts
40:11 - 40:14 | Outro Animation / Podcast End

If you're building, operating, investing in, or selling robotics, this episode offers a practical look at robotics commercialization, go-to-market strategy, deployment, customer success, scaling, and profitability.

Subscribe to Robotics.Scaled for honest conversations with founders, operators, and investors building the next generation of robotics companies.

Watch the latest episode here - https://youtu.be/7-NHsgNT8L8

#Robotics #RoboticsStartup #RoboticsScaling #PhysicalAI #Automation #RoboticsBusiness #IndustrialRobotics #RoboticsDeployment #RoboticsCommercialization #DeepTech #RoboticsPodcast

]]>f62a7e3e-c628-4e36-8954-ce384c0ef173Tue, 08 Sep 2026 06:05:12 GMT<p>What does it really take to go from deploying a few robots to thousands of robots at scale?<br /><br />In this episode of Robotics.Scaled, Vanessa sits down with a former GM EMEA at Tennant to break down the commercial and operational decisions that separate promising robotics companies from those that actually become global robotics leaders.<br /><br />The conversation goes beyond hardware and impressive demos. They explore what happens when a robotics company moves from pilots and early customers into large-scale deployments—where customer success, training, service infrastructure, site readiness, reliability, partner strategy, and profitability suddenly become just as important as the robot itself.<br /><br />One of the biggest lessons: selling the first robot is not the real sale.<br /><br />The real challenge is making the robot so reliable and valuable that customers want 10, 100, or even 1,000 more.<br /><br />They discuss how robotics startups should build repeatable deployment systems, standardize customer onboarding, manage expectations, create strong customer success teams, choose the right partners, avoid over-customization, and identify the use cases that can genuinely scale.<br /><br />The episode also explores why many robotics businesses struggle with profitability even after successfully selling robots—and why service costs, software issues, operator training, and poor deployment processes can quietly destroy margins.<br /><br />Timestamps<br /><br />00:00 - 01:03 | Trailer on Scaling Robotics Beyond Pilots<br />01:03 - 02:10 | Podcast Introduction and Guest Background<br />02:10 - 03:56 | Designing Robots for Global Deployment<br />03:56 - 06:25 | Stakeholders, Expectations, and Site Readiness<br />06:25 - 08:30 | Building a Repeatable Deployment Model<br />08:30 - 10:15 | Standardization, Data, and Robot Monitoring<br />10:15 - 13:01 | Selling Peace of Mind, Not Just Robots<br />13:01 - 15:35 | Business Case, Hidden Costs, and Labor Challenges<br />15:35 - 18:53 | Customer Success, Training, and Change Management<br />18:53 - 25:36 | Partner Strategy and Ideal Partner Profile<br />25:36 - 28:30 | Profitability, Service Burden, and Partner Dependency<br />28:30 - 31:02 | Scalable Use Cases and Strategic Focus<br />31:02 - 33:10 | Software Ownership, Outsourcing, and Lock-In Risks<br />33:10 - 36:59 | Business Model, Deployment Ownership, and Fleet Insights<br />36:59 - 38:11 | Scaling from Hundreds to Thousands of Robots<br />38:11 - 40:11 | AI Readiness, Mind Marks, and Closing Thoughts<br />40:11 - 40:14 | Outro Animation / Podcast End<br /><br />If you're building, operating, investing in, or selling robotics, this episode offers a practical look at robotics commercialization, go-to-market strategy, deployment, customer success, scaling, and profitability.<br /><br />Subscribe to Robotics.Scaled for honest conversations with founders, operators, and investors building the next generation of robotics companies.<br /><br />Watch the latest episode here - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/7-NHsgNT8L8" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/7-NHsgNT8L8</a><br /><br />#Robotics #RoboticsStartup #RoboticsScaling #PhysicalAI #Automation #RoboticsBusiness #IndustrialRobotics #RoboticsDeployment #RoboticsCommercialization #DeepTech #RoboticsPodcast</p>no00:02:5714The Hidden Cost of Scaling a Robotics Companyfull<![CDATA[What Stops Robotics Pilots From Becoming Real Deployments]]>In this episode of Robotics.Scaled, Vanessa sits down with Kateryna Portmann from ANYbotics to unpack one of the biggest challenges in robotics commercialization: moving from a successful pilot to a real deployment that creates measurable business value.

The surprising part? In many cases, the technology is not the main problem.

Kateryna explains why robotics pilots often fail because companies are not truly ready for deployment. Missing stakeholder alignment, unclear ROI, weak training, legacy systems, poor workflow integration, and a lack of executive buy-in can leave even strong robotics technology stuck in pilot purgatory.

They break down what robotics companies and buyers need to get right before deployment, from identifying the real decision makers and defining clear success metrics to integrating robots with existing ERP systems, APIs, fleet management platforms, and other automation technologies.

The conversation also explores how companies can scale beyond a single robot, improve frontline adoption, create trust with workers, plan for predictive maintenance, navigate compliance, and prepare for a future where robots and physical AI become part of everyday workplaces.

If you're building, buying, investing in, or deploying robotics, this episode offers a practical look at what actually separates a robotics pilot from a scalable robotics business.

In this episode:
Why robotics pilots fail even when the technology works
How to escape pilot purgatory
Technical vs. organizational readiness
Why executive buy-in matters
How to define robotics pilot KPIs and success metrics
Integrating robots with legacy systems, ERP, APIs, and fleet management
How to identify the real robotics buying center
Robot adoption among frontline workers
Predictive maintenance and long-term deployment value
Scaling from one robot to hundreds or thousands
Safety, compliance, and engineering responsibility
The future of robotics, AI, and physical AI

Timestamps

00:00 - Trailer on Robotics Pilots and Readiness
00:56 - Introduction Kateryna Portmann
01:55 - Why Robotics Pilots Fail Beyond Technology
04:14 - Technical Readiness, Training, and Workflow Integration
07:19 - Decision Makers, Stakeholders, and Scaling Beyond Pilots
11:03 - Legacy Systems, APIs, and Multi-Robot Integration
14:05 - Successful Pilot Scaling and Clear Success Metrics
18:56 - Buying Center, Value Drivers, and Predictive Maintenance
24:13 - User Experience, Frontline Workers, and Robot Adoption
28:22 - Cultural Readiness, Safety, and Robot Awareness
31:00 - Scaling Robotics Production and Market Consolidation
34:30 - Compliance, Regulation, and Engineering Responsibility
37:05 - Future of Robotics, Coexistence, and Closing Thoughts
39:38 - End

Robotics.Scaled brings honest conversations with founders, operators, product leaders, and investors about what it really takes to commercialize robotics, find product-market fit, scale deployments, and build global robotics companies.

Check out our location partner DARE Campus: https://darecampus.ch/
and join the DARE Campus Robot Showcase & Community Night - https://luma.com/DAREcampusRobotShowcase?tk=2rch5l
Check out Kateryna's initiative RobotReady - https://robot-ready.co/en/

Check our the episode here - https://youtu.be/39gWdflyadk

Subscribe for more conversations on robotics startups, physical AI, automation, robotics commercialization, product-market fit and go-to-market strategy.

]]>94bb28b3-c276-43e8-acca-4970615e198eTue, 25 Aug 2026 07:34:39 GMT<p>In this episode of Robotics.Scaled, Vanessa sits down with Kateryna Portmann from ANYbotics to unpack one of the biggest challenges in robotics commercialization: moving from a successful pilot to a real deployment that creates measurable business value.<br /><br />The surprising part? In many cases, the technology is not the main problem.<br /><br />Kateryna explains why robotics pilots often fail because companies are not truly ready for deployment. Missing stakeholder alignment, unclear ROI, weak training, legacy systems, poor workflow integration, and a lack of executive buy-in can leave even strong robotics technology stuck in pilot purgatory.<br /><br />They break down what robotics companies and buyers need to get right before deployment, from identifying the real decision makers and defining clear success metrics to integrating robots with existing ERP systems, APIs, fleet management platforms, and other automation technologies.<br /><br />The conversation also explores how companies can scale beyond a single robot, improve frontline adoption, create trust with workers, plan for predictive maintenance, navigate compliance, and prepare for a future where robots and physical AI become part of everyday workplaces.<br /><br />If you're building, buying, investing in, or deploying robotics, this episode offers a practical look at what actually separates a robotics pilot from a scalable robotics business.<br /><br />In this episode:<br />Why robotics pilots fail even when the technology works<br />How to escape pilot purgatory<br />Technical vs. organizational readiness<br />Why executive buy-in matters<br />How to define robotics pilot KPIs and success metrics<br />Integrating robots with legacy systems, ERP, APIs, and fleet management<br />How to identify the real robotics buying center<br />Robot adoption among frontline workers<br />Predictive maintenance and long-term deployment value<br />Scaling from one robot to hundreds or thousands<br />Safety, compliance, and engineering responsibility<br />The future of robotics, AI, and physical AI<br /><br />Timestamps<br /><br />00:00 - Trailer on Robotics Pilots and Readiness<br />00:56 - Introduction Kateryna Portmann<br />01:55 - Why Robotics Pilots Fail Beyond Technology<br />04:14 - Technical Readiness, Training, and Workflow Integration<br />07:19 - Decision Makers, Stakeholders, and Scaling Beyond Pilots<br />11:03 - Legacy Systems, APIs, and Multi-Robot Integration<br />14:05 - Successful Pilot Scaling and Clear Success Metrics<br />18:56 - Buying Center, Value Drivers, and Predictive Maintenance<br />24:13 - User Experience, Frontline Workers, and Robot Adoption<br />28:22 - Cultural Readiness, Safety, and Robot Awareness<br />31:00 - Scaling Robotics Production and Market Consolidation<br />34:30 - Compliance, Regulation, and Engineering Responsibility<br />37:05 - Future of Robotics, Coexistence, and Closing Thoughts<br />39:38 - End<br /><br />Robotics.Scaled brings honest conversations with founders, operators, product leaders, and investors about what it really takes to commercialize robotics, find product-market fit, scale deployments, and build global robotics companies.<br /><br />Check out our location partner DARE Campus: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://darecampus.ch/" target="_blank">https://darecampus.ch/</a><br />and join the DARE Campus Robot Showcase &amp; Community Night - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://luma.com/DAREcampusRobotShowcase?tk=2rch5l" target="_blank">https://luma.com/DAREcampusRobotShowcase?tk=2rch5l</a><br />Check out Kateryna's initiative RobotReady - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://robot-ready.co/en/" target="_blank">https://robot-ready.co/en/</a><br /><br />Check our the episode here - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/39gWdflyadk" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/39gWdflyadk</a><br /><br />Subscribe for more conversations on robotics startups, physical AI, automation, robotics commercialization, product-market fit and go-to-market strategy.</p>no00:39:4213What Stops Robotics Pilots From Becoming Real Deploymentsfull<![CDATA[3 Things Every Robotics Startup Needs for Product-Market Fit]]>In this episode of Robotics.Scaled, Vanessa sits down with Alessandro Mora, Co-Founder & CEO of Ascento, to unpack the journey from an ETH robotics prototype to a growing security robotics company operating across international markets.

The conversation goes far beyond the robot itself. Alessandro shares how Ascento found its first real use case in outdoor security, identified the right ideal customer profile (ICP), validated product-market fit, and learned to avoid getting trapped in endless pilot projects.

They also explore why some customers are worth pursuing while others aren't, how to define success before launching a pilot, when to say no to customer requests, and why staying focused can be one of the hardest parts of scaling a robotics startup.

The episode also dives into product market fit, robotics business models, international expansion, direct sales vs. partnerships, physical AI, robotics funding, customer adoption, and what founders need to understand before trying to scale globally.

If you're building a robotics startup, drone company, deep tech business, or autonomous systems company, this episode offers practical lessons on commercialization, go-to-market strategy, customer validation, and scaling robotics beyond impressive demos.

What you'll learn:
How to find the right use case for a robotics startup
How Ascento identified security as its target market
What makes a strong robotics ICP
How to avoid pilot purgatory
How to evaluate customer urgency and willingness to pay
Why founders need to stay focused as customers request new features
How to build a Robot-as-a-Service business model
When a robotics startup is ready to expand internationally
Direct sales vs. partnerships in robotics
How physical AI is changing the robotics market
Why customer adoption could be the biggest unlock for robotics

Timestamps

00:00 - Trailer: Robotics ICP & Customer Adoption
00:56 - Podcast Introduction & Ascento Overview
01:33 - From ETH Prototype to Security Robotics
03:49 - First Traction & Early Market Validation
05:44 - Macro Trends Driving Security Robotics
07:19 - Defining the Ideal Customer Profile
11:36 - How to Evaluate Customer Fit
14:26 - Staying Focused & Avoiding Scope Creep
17:40 - Feature Prioritization & Long-Term Vision
20:29 - The Mission: Outdoor Security Robotics
21:27 - Building a Robot-as-a-Service Business
24:40 - Taking a Robotics Company International
28:31 - Robotics Funding & Physical AI
31:06 - Building the Team & Evolving as a Founder
32:14 - Advice for Robotics Founders
33:49 - The Future of Customer Adoption in Robotics

Robotics.Scaled brings honest conversations with the founders, operators, researchers, and investors building and commercializing the next generation of robotics.

Follow and subscribe for more conversations about robotics startups, AI, physical AI, product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, automation, deep tech, robotics commercialization, and scaling globally.

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@RoboticsScaled

]]>1a64f4ab-be65-4cd5-b293-3fc449a0f3e5Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:00:00 GMT<p>In this episode of Robotics.Scaled, Vanessa sits down with Alessandro Mora, Co-Founder &amp; CEO of Ascento, to unpack the journey from an ETH robotics prototype to a growing security robotics company operating across international markets.<br /><br />The conversation goes far beyond the robot itself. Alessandro shares how Ascento found its first real use case in outdoor security, identified the right ideal customer profile (ICP), validated product-market fit, and learned to avoid getting trapped in endless pilot projects.<br /><br />They also explore why some customers are worth pursuing while others aren't, how to define success before launching a pilot, when to say no to customer requests, and why staying focused can be one of the hardest parts of scaling a robotics startup.<br /><br />The episode also dives into product market fit, robotics business models, international expansion, direct sales vs. partnerships, physical AI, robotics funding, customer adoption, and what founders need to understand before trying to scale globally.<br /><br />If you're building a robotics startup, drone company, deep tech business, or autonomous systems company, this episode offers practical lessons on commercialization, go-to-market strategy, customer validation, and scaling robotics beyond impressive demos.<br /><br />What you'll learn:<br />How to find the right use case for a robotics startup<br />How Ascento identified security as its target market<br />What makes a strong robotics ICP<br />How to avoid pilot purgatory<br />How to evaluate customer urgency and willingness to pay<br />Why founders need to stay focused as customers request new features<br />How to build a Robot-as-a-Service business model<br />When a robotics startup is ready to expand internationally<br />Direct sales vs. partnerships in robotics<br />How physical AI is changing the robotics market<br />Why customer adoption could be the biggest unlock for robotics<br /><br />Timestamps<br /><br />00:00 - Trailer: Robotics ICP &amp; Customer Adoption<br />00:56 - Podcast Introduction &amp; Ascento Overview<br />01:33 - From ETH Prototype to Security Robotics<br />03:49 - First Traction &amp; Early Market Validation<br />05:44 - Macro Trends Driving Security Robotics<br />07:19 - Defining the Ideal Customer Profile<br />11:36 - How to Evaluate Customer Fit<br />14:26 - Staying Focused &amp; Avoiding Scope Creep<br />17:40 - Feature Prioritization &amp; Long-Term Vision<br />20:29 - The Mission: Outdoor Security Robotics<br />21:27 - Building a Robot-as-a-Service Business<br />24:40 - Taking a Robotics Company International<br />28:31 - Robotics Funding &amp; Physical AI<br />31:06 - Building the Team &amp; Evolving as a Founder<br />32:14 - Advice for Robotics Founders<br />33:49 - The Future of Customer Adoption in Robotics<br /><br />Robotics.Scaled brings honest conversations with the founders, operators, researchers, and investors building and commercializing the next generation of robotics.<br /><br />Follow and subscribe for more conversations about robotics startups, AI, physical AI, product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, automation, deep tech, robotics commercialization, and scaling globally.</p><p></p><p>YouTube - <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@RoboticsScaled" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/@RoboticsScaled</a><br /><br /></p>no00:34:22123 Things Every Robotics Startup Needs for Product-Market Fitfull<![CDATA[ How to Find the Right Market for Your Robotics Startup]]>In this episode of Robotics.Scaled, Vanessa Warncke sits down with Prof. Dr. Yulia Sandamirskaya, Professor at ZHAW and Co-Founder of YuRo, to explore the realities of commercializing cutting-edge robotics technology. From years of AI, neuroscience, and robotics research to launching a robotics startup, Yulia shares how founders can bridge the gap between breakthrough innovation and real-world adoption.

They dive into why healthcare became YuRo's first market, how robotics companies should approach go-to-market strategy, why software may be a smarter bet than building hardware, and what it really takes to achieve product-market fit in robotics. The conversation also covers fundraising, customer validation, early pilots, scaling challenges, robotics business models, and why founders should start with the market, not the technology.

Whether you're building a robotics startup, investing in robotics, working in AI, automation, healthcare technology, or simply interested in the future of intelligent machines, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone building at the frontier.

If you're interested in robotics, AI, autonomous systems, healthcare automation, robotics startups, venture capital, deep tech, or commercializing breakthrough technologies, subscribe to Robotics.Scaled for conversations with the founders, investors, and operators shaping the future of robotics.

]]>cf7b3392-2ec8-4e47-afc9-33557edc4120Mon, 27 Jul 2026 08:54:11 GMT<p>In this episode of Robotics.Scaled, Vanessa Warncke sits down with Prof. Dr. Yulia Sandamirskaya, Professor at ZHAW and Co-Founder of YuRo, to explore the realities of commercializing cutting-edge robotics technology. From years of AI, neuroscience, and robotics research to launching a robotics startup, Yulia shares how founders can bridge the gap between breakthrough innovation and real-world adoption.<br /><br />They dive into why healthcare became YuRo's first market, how robotics companies should approach go-to-market strategy, why software may be a smarter bet than building hardware, and what it really takes to achieve product-market fit in robotics. The conversation also covers fundraising, customer validation, early pilots, scaling challenges, robotics business models, and why founders should start with the market, not the technology.<br /><br />Whether you're building a robotics startup, investing in robotics, working in AI, automation, healthcare technology, or simply interested in the future of intelligent machines, this episode is packed with practical insights from someone building at the frontier.<br /><br />If you're interested in robotics, AI, autonomous systems, healthcare automation, robotics startups, venture capital, deep tech, or commercializing breakthrough technologies, subscribe to Robotics.Scaled for conversations with the founders, investors, and operators shaping the future of robotics.</p>no00:39:5111 How to Find the Right Market for Your Robotics Startupfull