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Wandelbots Around the World

The young company parted ways with its hardware business a year ago, resulting in the departure of about a third of its workforce. Co-founder Christian Piechnick remains committed to democratizing robotics, now focusing exclusively on software for simulating, programming, and operating robotic solutions.

To democratize and revolutionize robotics. With this vision, Christian Piechnick, alongside fellow researchers from TU Dresden, founded the startup Wandelbots in 2017. 'Robotics, particularly in programming and software, has seen little advancement in the last 20 to 30 years,' explains Christian Piechnick. 'Outdated programming languages from the 80s persist, and integrating modern technologies like vision and AI remains challenging.

Every company goes through tough times. That's what Christian Piechnick tells us, and he should know. With his startup Wandelbots, he executed a pivot after nearly six years, resulting in the dismissal of almost a third of the staff. As one of Germany's most prominent robotics firms, Wandelbots has undergone a radical transformation in recent months.

Wandelbots was once hailed as a startup hope but stumbled despite the global robotics boom. Now, co-founder Christian Piechnick aims to pivot with a radically new business model and an AI partnership with OpenAI. It's a high-risk maneuver.

The beautiful Elbe metropolis of Dresden is always worth a visit, especially when it comes to exciting startups. In recent years, the state capital of Saxony has become home to an extremely inspiring startup scene. First and foremost is Wandelbots, the no-code startup that programs robots, having raised $123 million in funding over the past years, including from investors like Insight Partners, 83North, and Microsoft.

The Dresden startup Wandelbots, for example, is working with its software solutions to simplify the interaction between humans and robots and make robot programming as accessible as possible

As is often the case, software is also the solution here for the challenges that the use of software can bring. The Dresden startup Wandelbots, for example, is working with its software solutions to simplify the interaction between humans and robots and make robot programming as accessible as possible.

Stephan Hotz, Chief Product Officer of robotics software forge Wandelbots GmbH, outlines Dresden's stance on open platforms for robotics and automation. Wandelbots will launch a robot-agnostic software platform by late 2024, enabling companies to virtualize and simulate their automation environments and develop custom apps.

The Dresden-based robot startup Wandelbots has undertaken a radical restructuring of the company in recent months. 'We have thrown out everything related to hardware,' says founder and CEO Christian Piechnick in an interview with Gründerszene.

In the "Robotics in Industry" podcast, Christian from Wandelbots discussed with Helmut Schmid and Robert Weber about Wandelbots' evolution and its commitment to democratizing robotics through software solutions. The focus was on bridging robot hardware with innovative software to enhance automation experiences, highlighting the significance of customer projects and development partnerships in this endeavor.

Dive into the world of robotics with Wandelbots' CEO, Christian Piechnick, and Tobias Herwig in this episode. Christian shares his journey from a doctoral student to redefining robotics through software innovation, programming, and democratization. Discover how they're tackling the complexities of robotics, paving the way for groundbreaking concepts like ChatGPT for robots. Join us for a compelling conversation on transforming challenges into opportunities in the fast-evolving realm of robotics.

Wandelbots shifts its focus from hardware to pioneering software solutions in automation. Revealed at the SPS expo, their innovative approach simplifies robot-human collaboration throughout an automation project's lifecycle.

Dresden-based robotics software company Wandelbots and robotics manufacturer FANUC are launching their newest development: FANUC-branded robots can now be controlled via the Wandelbots Operating System. The solution will be presented from June 27-30, 2023, at automatica, the leading trade fair for intelligent automation and robotics in Munich, Germany. 

The labor shortage has continued to worsened over the past year. According to a study by the Institute of the German Economy (IW), more than 630,000 jobs could not be filled nationwide in 2022 due to a lack of qualified applicants. This is the largest gap in skilled labor since the start of the observation period in 2010. Automated processes – such as Wandelbots’ solution – have become increasingly more important.