PTC to Provide Onshape to MassRobotics Startups to Accelerate Robot Design Process

Robotics innovators need all the help they can get, including tools for collaboration. PTC Inc. today announced a partnership with MassRobotics in which it will provide free licenses of its Onshape cloud-based, product-design software to MassRobotics resident startups.

“Our team at MassRobotics is very excited to collaborate with PTC and the amazing Onshape team to utilize the innovative capabilities of Onshape to better scale the next generation of successful robotics startups,” said Fady Saad, co-founder and vice president of strategic partnerships at MassRobotics.

MassRobotics is a collaborative effort devoted to nurturing the Massachusetts robotics ecosystem. It provides networking opportunities, co-working space and resources, and other support for startups and established technology firms.

Onshape offers startups speed to market

The global robotics market is growing quickly, with spending to exceed $240 billion by 2023, projected IDC. The market could grow to more than $74.1 billion by 2026, according to Mordor Intelligence.

Boston-based PTC provides software for digital transformation and the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). It offers computer-aided design (CAD), product lifecycle management (PLM), and augmented reality (AR) technologies via on-premise, software-as-a-service (SaaS), and hybrid models. The company said it serves the automotive, aerospace, defense, and medical device industries, among others.

Commercial robotics companies and educators use Onshape for design and development. With simultaneous collaboration and integrated data management, the platform frees engineers from worries about stalled designs, crashes, or losses, claimed PTC.

"Robotic startups can use Onshape to accelerate their design processes and increase speed to market, giving them a competitive edge in today’s fast-paced economy," the company added.

PTC to help MassRobotics engineers collaborate

With Onshape, multiple MassRobotics engineers can work on their complex assemblies at the same time, said PTC. Like with Google Docs, if one engineer makes an edit or change, everyone else on the team can instantly see it, no matter who makes them or when.

"The robotics industry is becoming more vital than ever, as companies look to automation and faster processes to address supply chain disruptions and labor shortages,” said David Katzman, senior vice president of general operations at Onshape. “We are thrilled to provide Onshape to the innovative startups at MassRobotics as they help revolutionize the market.”