Robotics And AI Sprint Propel-AIR Gets Underway

ARM Hub’s Propel-AIR program has launched its 2026 cohort, bringing together seven Australian AI and robotics ventures for a month-long sprint that will culminate in a virtual pitch night and a four-week residency at MassRobotics in Boston.

The seven companies selected for the 2026 program are MotionLogic (Traversal Labs), PROXGRID, Oarsense (Rowboatix), Aurova, SpatioTemporal, JP Robotics and Contactile.

Between them, the ventures span industrial AI, aerial robotics, sports analytics, vegetation management, autonomous systems, precision engineering and tactile sensing.

Lessons from last year’s winner

The accelerator opens with a live webinar featuring 2025 Propel-AIR winner Dominic Lindsay of Nexobot and ARM Hub Director Of Research Programs Troy Cordie, giving the new cohort a direct line to the experience of last year’s program.

For Lindsay, part of the journey was learning to shift the focus away from the technology and onto the problem it solves.

“I think it all has to come down to how you identified the problem. The solution’s almost the least important bit,” he reflected.

“Robotics and technology has to be in support of a problem. It can’t be tech first, problem second.”

Mentors drawn from robotics, AI and venture capital

Over the coming weeks, participants will work with a cohort of experts from organisations across robotics, AI and venture capital, including MassRobotics, Nvidia, Cooke Capital, Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick, RSM Australia and Stone & Chalk.

Sessions will cover commercialisation, intellectual property, R&D financing, investor readiness and pitching under pressure.

“We’re excited to be bringing Propel-AIR back for 2026, and we can’t wait to see our winner on the world stage at MassRobotics,” commented Mike Woodcock, Communications Director at ARM Hub.

Boston residency on the line

The program concludes with a virtual pitch night on 31 July, where a panel of industry judges will select a winner and runner-up.

The winning company earns a four-week residency at MassRobotics in Boston, providing direct access to global robotics firms, venture capital networks and US research institutions.

Propel-AIR is delivered by ARM Hub’s AI Adopt Centre in partnership with MassRobotics, Nvidia and the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

Pictured: Last year’s Propel-AIR Winner Dominic Lindsay with MassRobotics’ Marita McGinn.

Last Updated on July 2, 2026 by Nick Ross