Oliver Mitchell

Oliver Mitchell is a partner at Arkenstone Venture Partners, a dual-use venture firm investing in defense technology, cybersecurity, automation, and AI-driven enterprise software, born out of Israel’s elite military units. Oliver is also a partner at ff Venture Capital, where he leads investments in robotics, artificial intelligence, drones, industrial automation, and climate tech, and builds strategic alliances with limited partners and corporate venture groups. A seasoned investor, Oliver boasts a proven track record of successful exits, including two IPOs (Novocure and Ekso Bionics), a $1.4 billion private equity sale of TripleLift, and high returns from recent transactions, including the acquisition of Scite.ai by Research Solutions (RSSS) and CardFlight’s growth equity round led by WestView Capital Partners. He currently serves on the boards of CivRobotics, Cambrian Robotics, and Paraspot, leveraging his deep tech expertise to scale transformative companies. Previously, he built and exited ventures such as Holmes Protection, AmeriCash, and RobotGalaxy, a national STEM-focused brand. As an Adjunct Professor at Sy Syms School of Business and the author of A Startup Field Guide in the Age of Robots and AI, he continues to shape innovation, sharing insights on his blog as the “Robot Rabbi.“

Hardhat Bots Takeover Construction Sites

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RobotLabNYC’s third installment will be June 13th in New York City with Howard Morgan (FirstRound Capital) and Tom Ryden (MassRobotics); together, we will be “Exploring The Autonomous Future” (RSVP today). Coincidentally, Jimmy Fallon featured a new bit this week called “Showbotics,” providing viewers a sneak peek into the robotic future: While Fallon pokes fun, the reality is robots today are … Read more

NASA Spinoffs: Bringing Space Down To Earth

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In a time of “America First” the benefits of space travel are clouded by the smoke of hyperbole. In reality, there have been over 2,000 inventions courtesy of NASA that are making our lives better here on Earth. Everyday we benefit as much from the journey as from the destination. These innovations include new medicines developed in zero … Read more

The Startup Launch Pad Blasts Off At Automate 2017

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What does Magic Johnson and a twenty foot robot have in common? You guessed it, Automate 2017. While this might seem like an odd pairing, it accurately reflects the current state of the robotics industry. Already 2017 is on pace to beat last year’s $19 billion investment record, with the recent announcements of Intel’s $15B purchase of Mobileye; ABB’s $2B … Read more

Last Mile Delivery Goes To Robotic Mules

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Lior Ron has had quite a ride since founding Otto less than a year ago; within three months of his official launch, Uber acquired the autonomous truck startup for more than $680 million. Ron, a former Google executive, told me this week that he started Otto as a socially conscious company to end roadside fatalities. Since trucks are … Read more