Pathways to Zero Barriers: Second episode is out!

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The podcast Pathways to Zero Barriers in its second episode dives into sustainable funding to scale disability-inclusive innovations. From bootstrapping and pre-orders to navigating subsidies, we’ll explore how Happybots has tackled funding challenges for their ‘social’ robot, Felix, in alignment with their happiness goals. Plus, we’ll discuss the bigger picture of market analysis, and balancing initial costs with long-term sustainability.

Pathways to Zero Barriers, Epiosde 2: Unlocking Sustainable Funding and Investment.

This episode dives into the critical topic of securing funding to scale innovations, with practical lessons from the field of assistive robotics. How can startups assess the required level of investment? What are the key challenges in securing funding? And how can they align initial costs with long-term sustainability goals?

Rob van de Ven, Co-Founder of Happybots, shares his journey developing and scaling Felix, a ‘social’ robot designed to support individuals with psychosocial disabilities. He is joined by Małgorzata ‘Margaret’ Grobelna from the Zero Project, who complements these experiences with a broader perspective on funding assistive technologies and strategies for building sustainable, impactful solutions.

The key questions addressed in this episode are:

  1. How do you determine the level of investment required for scaling your robotics solutions?
  2. What are the biggest challenges in securing funding for such technology?
  3. How do you balance initial costs with long-term sustainability?

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Guest Information

  • Rob van de Ven, HappyBots: A project leader in education, healthcare, and the cultural sector, as well as an innovator, Rob redefines assistive technology by focusing his innovations on human emotions and inclusivity. Happybots website.
  • Małgorzata 'Margaret' Grobelna: A passionate advocate for the rights of autistic people, Margaret dedicates her work to fostering innovative collaborations and creating opportunities for impactful solutions to scale globally. Essl Foundation.

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For inquiries or feedback, contact us at: scaling-solutions@zeroproject.org

This podcast is brought to you by the Zero Project with support from the Essl Foundation, Fundación Descúbreme, GIZ on behalf of BMZ, Atos, EnAble India, and Inclusive Creation.

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