Business Insider is working on its inaugural list of the rising stars of robotics, our definitive roster of the up-and-coming people defining one of the hottest industries in Silicon Valley.
Venture dollars and talent are flooding into robotics and physical AI, and Business Insider has made it a priority to cover the sector. This year, we published two inaugural lists: The 22 investors to know in robotics and physical AI and the 25 most promising robotics startups in 2026, according to investors.
Now, we’re turning our attention to the people behind the boom.
We’re looking for researchers, founders, engineers, product leaders, operators, and investors who are making an impact on the industry but are not yet widely known. Our goal is to identify the people poised to become the industry’s most important names.
We’re not looking for the sector’s most senior executives or best-known founders. Instead, we want to know: Who are the people robotics leaders call when they’re in a pinch? Who are the next generation of founders leading innovation? Who are the up-and-coming investors focusing on the sector? Who are the researchers driving the breakthroughs behind the scenes? And who are the operators figuring out how to get robots out of the lab and into the real world?
Submit a nomination below or through this form by Friday, October 23 to be considered. Due to the volume of submissions, we can’t guarantee feedback on individual nominations.
Who qualifies
We’re casting a wide net. Candidates don’t need to be young or hold junior titles, but they should still be emerging as influential figures in the field, rather than people whose reputations are already established. They can be based anywhere in the world and work in any part of the robotics industry. Self-nominations are welcome.
We’re interested in people including:
- Researchers and engineers responsible for important technical advances
- Founders and early employees building promising robotics startups
- Product leaders turning new technology into products
- Operators deploying robots in the real world
- Investors who spotted important trends or companies early and have become trusted advisors to founders
- Academics whose research is shaping the robotics industry
Methodology
Business Insider reporters and editors will review nominations alongside our own reporting and research. We’ll consider the originality and significance of a nominee’s work, their individual contribution, evidence of real-world impact, their influence within robotics, and the trajectory of their career.
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