Shared Infrastructure for Commercialization Readiness

RoboBench is a capital grant opportunity supported through the Mass Leads Act to strengthen the state’s robotics ecosystem. This program supports the development of shared robotics-related infrastructure across Massachusetts to enable cross-sector robotics commercialization. The goal is to improve access to the vital resources robotics groups need to commercialize their hardware, such as manufacturing facilities and testing platforms.  

Program Goals

The RoboBench program aims to increase access to robotics-related infrastructure across Massachusetts to enable cross-sector robotics commercialization through organizations that support startups and/or research labs. These organizations provide access to critical commercialization resources that small robotics developers often cannot afford independently. 

Awardees

On August 20, 2026, the Healey-Driscoll Administration, in partnership with the Innovation Institute, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), announced that $6,571,823 (link to press release), via the RoboBench grant program, will go to four nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions to expand shared robotics infrastructure and enable cross-sector commercialization across the Commonwealth.

The RoboBench program supports new and expanded facilities, equipment, testing environments and services that help robotics startups, researchers and innovators move from prototype to pilot-stage testing, manufacturing readiness and market deployment.