Service robots are a type of robots that assist human beings in non-manufacturing environments, typically by performing repetitive, dirty, dull, distant, or dangerous jobs. Robopreneur Sdn Bhd (Robopreneur) is a pioneer and market leader in service robotics technology and solutions in Malaysia, having played a role in modernizing businesses and accelerating digital lifestyles in the country. Our mission is to democratize the service robotics business, reducing prices and increasing value to make reliable and affordable service robotics products and solutions accessible to more people.

Robopreneur is an award-winning robotics company that provides service robotics products and solutions for professional and domestic use. Established in 2015 as a start-up company at UiTM developing humanoid robot applications for children with autism, Robopreneur is now the leading service robotics business in Malaysia.

Based in Cyberjaya, Malaysia's Silicon Valley, Robopreneur's business segment focuses on four areas: Service & Hospitality, Medical & Healthcare, Industrial Cleaning, and Education. The company's strength lies in its robust R&D capabilities, which allow it to offer customized solutions and project development utilizing robotics, automation, and AI for the digital transformation of commercial businesses and social enterprises. The three core technologies that underpin the company's strength in R&D are:

• Robotics Technology: Strong knowledge and R&D skills in robotics technology, the ability to conduct prototyping and manufacturing, and integration with sensors and IoT for development and customization.
• Software Automation: Development of proprietary software, apps, and systems that utilize robots to replace repeatable processes normally performed by humans and reduce manual intervention.
• Data Transformation: Optimization and organization of data for better use in analytics and automation management.

The greatest challenge that overshadows all others is the labour shortage. Currently, the world is facing a shortage of labour not only in manufacturing but also in many different industries. By 2050, Europe will have 95 million fewer people of working age than it does today, and the Asia-Pacific region will face an imminent shortage of 47 million skilled workers by 2030. However, the world's population is increasing, and goods will still need to be produced for the people on the planet. With fewer people of working age, we have only one option: Robotics and Automation.

Robots are key to post-pandemic recovery as they increase productivity and efficiency while reducing operational costs. At Robopreneur, we are addressing the following issues:

Problem 1: Human Labour Shortage
The global labour shortage is a critical issue that affects not only manufacturing but also industries such as food and beverage, service and hospitality, agriculture, construction, and others. The Covid-19 pandemic has created uncertainty in many economic sectors, leading to the migration of professionals from one industry to another. Other factors related to the impact of Covid-19 on human labour include premature deaths, border controls and immigration restrictions, aging and retired workers, and currency crises. Post-pandemic recovery is a major challenge, especially for countries like Malaysia that have long relied on foreign labour.

Solution
We are addressing this problem by using service robotics to automate low-skill jobs and reduce the country's dependence on foreign workers. Many industries are struggling with economic recovery, and adopting robotics solutions is one of the best options. Our service robots do not take over human jobs, but instead allocate human workers to perform high-skill jobs that require more human skills. This helps them to improve their skills, work in better environments, and have more stable careers.

This solution contributes to SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, helping industries to maintain their operations and sustain the communities.

Problem 2: Cost and Productivity
The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted many businesses and supply chains, leading to closures of businesses and factories, changes in demographic and lifestyle. Many industries face cost increases and productivity issues due to a shortage of skilled workers, disrupted supply chains, rising raw material prices, and new minimum wage policies.

Solution
Robotics and automation are the best options for increasing productivity and efficiency. In our business, we offer a full range of robotic products and solutions to help companies improve their productivity and efficiency while maintaining their operations. Robots work faster and more consistently, improve productivity, and increase efficiency rates. By automating low-skill jobs, we allow human workers to be reallocated to higher-level jobs, helping to improve their skills, working conditions, and salaries.

In the long run, robotization is more cost-effective. However, many SMEs and business owners struggle with the high cost of robots, especially during the post-pandemic recovery stage. To address the cost issue, we have partnered with local commercial banks to offer flexible financing packages with low interest rates to our customers. By offering loan options instead of upfront payment, our customers can choose lease-to-own or subscribe to our pay-per-use package. They can pay for the cost of the robot on a monthly basis for up to 10 years or pay as they use it, helping them to maintain a healthy cash flow and sustain their business. The figure below shows our value proposition in terms of productivity, efficiency, and cost, with a comparison between human labour and our robot, which is more cost-effective in the long run.

This solution aligns with SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.

Problem 3: Ageing Society & Healthcare
The world is moving towards an ageing society. In 2020, one in every seven people in the world's population were aged 60 and above. By 2030, in the APAC region, there will be 1.3 billion people who are at their golden age. There will be fewer people at working age, and the government will need to spend more money on medical and life care for ageing populations. The medical and healthcare sector is also moving towards digitalization. Many tasks in hospitals are becoming automatable. The use of service robots was proven during Covid-19 and will continue to be effective in hospital operations.

Solution
Robopreneur offers service robotics products and solutions for use in medical and healthcare. Our innovative product, the Robotic Wheelchair Arm System, helps the elderly to gain more independence and provides mobility assistance at home or at healthcare centers. It can also be used in the rehabilitation process of patients in hospitals. We also have the Temi eNurse robot with telehealth apps that was designed to assist nurses and doctors in hospitals. The Temi eNurse can also work as a companion and assistance for elderly persons at home. The use of our assistive robots will reduce the burden on nurses and doctors at hospitals and improve elderly care services, which will sustain the life care of ageing populations in the country.

Digitalization and improving public health services are also our main concerns. We help hospitals increase productivity and efficiency using our service robots. Robots will also help hospitals reduce operational costs, especially for those with high occupancy. We offer our Smart Hospital solutions, consisting of delivery, cleaning, and assistant robots to automate tasks in hospitals. Our delivery robot, Delibot, is used in hospitals to deliver medical samples, meals, and medicines. Our assistant robot, Temi eNurse, helps the daily work of nurses and connects doctors with patients remotely. Our autonomous cleaning robot, KleenBot, helps clean hospital floors. We have managed to reduce the workload of medical staff and improve public healthcare services in hospitals.

This solution aligns with SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing.

Problem 4: Digitalization and Modernization
The goal of digitalization and modernization is to maximize business performance, embrace new opportunities for top-line growth, and improve the bottom line through efficiency improvement and securing operations. However, there are challenges to overcome in digital modernization due to conflicts regarding technology migration, outdated infrastructure, security and perception. An aggressive push towards digitalization and modernization could result in a technology gap and socio-economic imbalance in society.

Solution
The application of service robotics solutions helps businesses to achieve digital transformation. There are four key aspects where digital plays an important role in business transformation: Customer experience, business reinvention, operational excellence, and trust and compliance. In our business, we help enterprises and corporations to embrace digital transformation by adopting service robotics solutions, automation, and AI. Our innovative solutions feature excellent human-robot interaction capabilities, enabling humans and robots to work together to achieve the objectives of digitalization and modernization. We solve technology gaps, digital migration, and socio-economic imbalances during the digital transformation process, resulting in a sustainable business, an innovation ecosystem, and a modern infrastructure.

This solution is aligned with SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

Problem 5: STEM Education Gap
STEM education is essential for producing highly skilled tech talent. By 2030, there will be a projected shortage of 47 million tech-skilled workers in the APAC region. Malaysia is falling short of its goal to enroll 60% of students in science and technology-related programs. Robotics is the most popular subject in STEM education, and schools use various robotic kits as educational platforms. However, these kits primarily focus on fostering creativity instead of imparting basic engineering and scientific knowledge. There is also a significant talent ecosystem gap, as educational institutions produce graduates who do not fully meet industry needs.

Solution
Robopreneur is transforming STEM education in Malaysia through our expertise in robotics. We have created a unique STEM education robotic kit called ROOKIE, which was developed in collaboration with STEM syllabi to enhance knowledge in robotics, engineering, and programming. To support the talent development ecosystem, we offer deep-tech training programs focused on critical skills such as programming, robotics, AI, and data analytics. Our goal is to provide local talent with hands-on deep-tech skills and knowledge not typically taught in schools or universities, but required by industries. Our popular Malaysia Future Industry Talents (MyFIT) program, supported by the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MOSTI) Malaysia, trains 160 individuals annually in deep-tech and future tech skills.

This solution aligns with SDG 4: Quality Education.

Robopreneur has four core solutions that cover the application of service robotics technology in various emerging sectors. Inspired by the three core technologies available in the company, we have developed several clusters of solutions and applications within each core solution vertical. Each solution offers selected robotic products, proprietary software solutions, and system integration, enabling our customers to select and customize a complete solution on one platform. Eventually, these core solutions have become our growth engine, expanding our capabilities beyond robots as products and opening opportunities to secure bigger projects. These solutions also make us unique and different from other robotics companies, since we can offer complete and customized solutions and create more value for our customers.

1) SERVITALITY: Robot & automation solutions for service & hospitality sectors.

• Restaurant Automation
• Smart Mall Solutions
• Hotel Service Solutions
• Smart Retail & Outlets
• Smart Office & Showroom
• Lightweight Delivery in Factory & Warehouses

2) ROBOMEDIK: Robotics solutions for medical & healthcare.

• Smart Hospital Solutions
• Robot for Ageing Communities
• Assistive Healthcare Home Solutions
• Robot for Autism Rehabilitation

3) SOUJIDO: Autonomous Cleaning for Enterprise.

• Solar Panel Cleaning Solutions
• Autonomous Floor Cleaning
• Pipeline Inspection & Cleaning Solutions
• Sanitization & Disinfection Solutions

4) AIBOTEC: AI & robot for education community.

• Library Automation
• Academic Contract R&D
• STEM Education Solutions
• Technical Training & Talent Development Programs
• Smart Campus Solutions

5) SOFTWARE: Software Solutions for Next Gen Service Robot

• Robot Indoor Positioning System (RIPS)
• Menu Ordering Apps & POS Integrated System
• Kitchen Management System
• Robot Fleet & Asset Management System (ROBOFleet)
• Digital Interactive Avatar

Robopreneur’s Service Robotic Products
Currently, we offer 16 high-end service robot products that cover applications in the service and hospitality, medical and healthcare, autonomous cleaning, and education sectors. Our service robots are designed to meet the demands of customers in any job sector. With the Industrial Revolution4.0 underway, not only can they provide solutions to customer problems, but they can also help our customers transform their businesses to endure and thrive in a changing workplace climate.

Robopreneur R&D and Product Innovation :
1) Humanoid Robot ADAM
The First Malaysian Humanoid Robot

The Advanced Development Autonomous Machine (ADAM) is a sophisticated humanoid robot developed by Robopreneur. The project was launched in early 2018 and the robot was successfully activated in March of 2019, fully funded by the Ministry of Finance Malaysia. ADAM has a smooth full-body movement with 22 degrees of freedom in its upper body, including fingers, allowing it to interact with people using voice detection and recognition enabled by AI and cloud computing technology. ADAM serves as a suitable platform for AI and machine learning expansion, making it a critical resource for further research and development towards creating social robots that can work in healthcare and other areas of society.

2) Automated Solar Panel Cleaning Robot
Soiling and contaminants are the major factors that decrease yields of solar PV panels. Robopreneur is pioneering the development of an automated solar panel cleaning robot to maintain optimum output from the solar system and extend its lifespan for over 15 years. With the capability of both dry and wet cleaning, the high-speed cleaning process, which is more than 10 times faster than manual cleaning, offers a cost-effective solution for solar farm owners. Our robot solution includes an inspection report delivered in PDF format, as well as a soiling topography analysis of the solar farm, providing useful information for preventive maintenance and asset management.

Applications:

• Large scale solar panels farm (landed)
• Roof-top solar panels
   

3) Robotic Wheelchair Arm System
Robopreneur's Robotic Wheelchair Arm System won the 2021 Khazanah Impact Innovation Challenge (KIIC). Developed as an assistive device for elderly people and those with physical disabilities, the compact and flexible robotic arm (7-DOFs), is light and strong (made of lightweight carbon fiber and weighing only 5 kg), and has a smooth and safe operation with a maximum speed of 20cm/s. This innovative product is unique because it is designed to be modular and easy to install on almost any motorized wheelchair, giving users the flexibility to use their own chair. It helps users with daily activities both at home and in outdoor environments and reduces the workload of human assistance in daily care, bringing back freedom of life to wheelchair users.

4) ROOKIE – Robotic Omni-directional Kit for Education
ROOKIE is a unique robotic kit for education since it focuses on enriching knowledge in STEM education, compared to other similar kits that mostly focus on creativity. Focusing at beginner level, ROOKIE consist of development kit, STEM syllabus and apps base controller which also function as community platform for ROOKIE owners. Among important features in ROOKIE are as below:

• Omniwheel mobile robot platform for STEM education and hobbies
• Fully programmable Arduino-based controller board
• Open-source hardware and software
• Programming style - Arduino (Script) and Visual Language Programming (VLP)
• Independent drive 4 Channel DC Motor
• Autonomous mobility or control via android and IOS apps
• Lightweight and easy to assemble mobile robot
• Affordable robot education kit for beginners

5) Robot for Autism Rehabilitation
Social robots are increasingly being used as a mediator between a therapist and a child in autism therapy. The company founder Dr. Hanafiah Yussof conducted 3 years research in UiTM and finally patented the innovation called “Robot-mediated Tele-rehabilitation System for Autism Therapy” PI 2007703633. This robot-based therapy using humanoid robot NAO has shown great potential to reduce autistic behaviour, based on one clinical assessment between 20% to 25%. The product benefits autism communities, to assist parents, therapists, teachers and caregivers to provide better therapy and learning sessions to autism children.

Since its inception, Robopreneur has gained significant traction across its product range and has successfully navigated through the challenges posed by the recent global pandemic, emerging stronger. Based on the expected economic rebound and stronger demand, we expect to achieve a better growth trajectory resulting from streamlining our product and services range.

Currently, Robopreneur holds a 70-80% market share of the service robotics business in Malaysia. Since 2015, we have sold over 500 robots and completed 50 projects involving robotic solutions. We have served over 1,000 clients, ranging from B2B, B2G, B2A, and B2C. Currently, 90% of our revenue comes from the domestic market. With our technical capabilities and strategic business plan, we are confident in expanding our business regionally, starting this year. We currently serve overseas clients in countries such as Singapore, India, Portugal, Germany, and Qatar.

In our business, we use yearly revenue growth as a metric to measure our performance and growth. Since 2015, our year-over-year growth has consistently been between 20-30%. As part of our post-fundraising growth plan, we expect to see stronger revenue from our current product range as we secure a larger domestic market share while exploring regional opportunities.

Since 2015, we have served over 1000 clients from various backgrounds. So far, 40% of our clients come from the B2B segment, 20% from B2A, 10% from B2G, and 30% from B2B2C. The diagram below shows some of our main clients from each segment.

The service robotics market trend remains strong in the B2B segment, but is rapidly moving towards the B2B2C segment, with more consumers showing interest in our products and services. We have tailored our roadmap and strategic plan to capture the B2C market by transforming our business model into a "Robot-as-a-Solution" Venture Platform, and we are continuously aiming to transform into physical outlets offering a one-stop center for service robotics products and solutions. The figure below explains our roadmap and growth strategy, outlining how we plan to expand our market share and global reach while reducing the cost of our products and solutions.

Venture Platform Business Model

Robopreneur's business model is known as a Venture Platform business model, consisting of three main components: Robot-as-a-Product, Robot-as-a-Solution, and Robot-as-a-Service. The service robot business requires more flexibility in product selection because the needs of each customer are unique. In the Robot-as-a-Product segment, we have established strategic partnerships with manufacturers and technology providers to support our clients' requirements, with the client's interests being our top priority. This allows us to select the best combination of products and solutions to solve our clients' problems. In the Robot-as-a-Solution segment, we develop proprietary software to integrate our service robotics products with other technologies, such as sensors, IoT, and data analytics, so that we can provide complete solutions that address our customers' problems. In the Robot-as-a-Service segment, we offer purchase options that are suitable for our customers' financial conditions, as well as service and maintenance packages to provide technical support when needed.

The main objective of this business model is to democratize the service robotics business and reduce competition by bringing down prices, making reliable and affordable service robotics products more accessible to end-users. The Venture Platform concept enables robot manufacturers to produce cheaper and higher-quality products by only focusing on manufacturing and investing more in better products. As the platform owner, we will focus on the Robot-as-a-Solution and Robot-as-a-Service segments, avoiding the risky and low-margin robot hardware manufacturing business.

Why Venture Platform Business

Everyone knows that the Robot-as-a-Product type of business model is less profitable. To become more profitable, we need to have additional solutions and services. Therefore, the Robot-as-a-Solution business model is more favourable for us. Furthermore, a Venture Platform concept allows for a wider selection of robot models and solutions, making it more attractive and high-value for customers. Not many companies are capable of venturing into the Robot-as-a-Solution and Venture Platform business model, as they require a strong R&D and technical background to develop proprietary software and solutions for every application.

From a technology point of view, the future of the service robotics business will shift from professional use (B2B) to domestic use (B2C). This is because the rapid growth of robotics, sensors, AI, and communication technologies will make service robots more intelligent and mature. When this occurs, demand from domestic and personal users will increase and there will be more robots available for home or personal use, compared to professional service areas.

From a business perspective, most robotic companies in the world currently use the Robot-as-a-Product business model and employ a dealership program to sell their products in other countries. Not only is the profit margin limited, but this business model also creates intense competition among manufacturers and dealers. As a result, product prices remain expensive to sustain sales and marketing costs, as well as profit margins for manufacturers and dealers. The Venture Platform business model will disrupt this traditional robotics business model, reducing competition between manufacturers and dealers, making products cheaper and more affordable for end-users. This will bring more value to customers and give them a wider range of products to choose from.

As a company, Robopreneur believes that the Venture Platform is a revolutionary business model that will disrupt the current traditional business model in the robotics industry. Through this model, we can secure a larger market share, reduce product prices, increase revenue, and expand our business globally. This business model also enables us to control market prices and avoid price wars between dealers.

The next step after the success of the Venture Platform business model is to transform our business model into a retail model. When robotics technology becomes mature and the business trend shifts to B2C, we will have physical outlets, similar to today's electronics stores, to sell a variety of service robots, complete with solution options and flexible purchase options such as cash, credit, or loans.

Challenges in Venture Platform Business 

There are 3 challenges that we are facing in this business:

1. Cost: Cost is the biggest challenge in the robotics business. To overcome this, we are collaborating with commercial banks to provide flexible financing packages through lease-to-own and subscription plans to our customers. In fact, we are the only robotics company in Malaysia that has been approved for loan facilities for our clients. Currently, we are working with commercial banks such as SME Bank and Bank Islam, and credit companies Mitsubishi Capital and ORIX Rental. We are capable of offering up to a 10-year loan tenure, at low interest rates of 3% to 5%. This zero-CAPEX purchase option helps our customers maintain a healthy cash flow by paying monthly for their purchase commitment.

2. Product Reliability: Since our service robotics products are classified as premium products, we have established high standard QC and performance testing procedures to ensure quality and good performance. On top of that, we have an R&D team that provides technical support and customized solution development. Our objective is to make sure our customers enjoy a reliable and high-quality product while reducing failure rates and maintenance costs.

3. After-Sales Service: This is a crucial aspect when dealing with the commercial market. We have a sufficient technical service team to provide after-sales service and maintenance. We have developed and launched our robot fleet management system, called ROBOFleet, to remotely manage all our robots. This app enables clients to easily send us feedback so that we can quickly assist them or troubleshoot. ROBOFleet can be used in all our robots, regardless of brand or manufacturer, which improves our engagement with clients and increases customer trust and retention.

How We Make Money?

Eventually, the Venture Platform business model enables us to generate more profits compared to the traditional Robot-as-a-Product business model. The Robot-as-a-Product business model typically generates a profit margin of 25% to 30%. In our case, we can gain an additional 50% profit margin from the Robot-as-a-Solution segment (since we develop the solutions) and 20% margin from the Robot-as-a-Service segment, depending on the maintenance package after the warranty period. In total, we generate a profit margin of 100% with our Venture Platform business model, compared to the roughly 30% profit margin made by other companies.

Additionally, being financially backed by banks allows us to reduce our product cost by leveraging their facilities, thereby sustaining our cash flow and reducing the need for excessive inventory. This allows us to invest more into R&D and hire highly skilled engineers and programmers to develop even more useful solutions, making our business profitable and sustainable.

The figure below shows our available purchase options. As previously stated, Robopreneur is the only company in Malaysia that provides bank loans for our robotics products.

According to MarketsandMarkets, the service robotics market is projected to grow from USD 36.2 billion in 2021 to reach USD 103.3 billion by 2026; it is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 23.3% from 2021 to 2026. The market for professional service robots reached a turnover of 6.7 billion U.S. dollars worldwide (sample method) – up 12% in 2020. At the same time, turnover of new consumer service robots grew 16% to 4.4 billion U.S. dollars. This is according to World Robotics 2021 – Service Robots report, presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). (https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/service-robots-hit-double-digit-growth-worldwide)

Referring to IFR report, we have positioned our core business within the top 5 applications of professional service robots, which are professional cleaning, medical robot, and hospitality. With our growth strategy and revolutionary business plan, we believe our total obtainable market value will reach up to USD1 billion by year 2026.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has made robots increasingly prominent in service industries, driven by the global shortage of human labour. Robots have demonstrated their crucial role in the pandemic, from accelerating COVID-19 testing to providing disinfection and surveillance services, and shown how they will continue to be helpful in the years ahead. Many service robots, such as food delivery robots and hotel service robots, are widely used today. The increasing demand for service robots has made this business more attractive and profitable.

Our competitor analysis focuses on the demographics of service robotics companies, based on their business model (Robot-as-a-Product versus Robot-as-a-Solution), and price comparison. Most of the commercial service robotics companies in the world still focus on the Robot-as-a-Product business model. Companies like Secure Robotics, AK Success, Ideasparq, and Keenon in Malaysia, and Bear Robotics in the US are our competitors that focus on this business model. Since these companies only focus on direct sales or rental, without offering lease-to-own or pay-per-use subscriptions like us, their prices are higher compared to the market affordability level.

Our closest competitor is RobotLab in the US, established in 2007 as the first company to venture into the Robot-as-a-Solution Venture Platform concept in the robotics business. They have been profitable and growing quickly, but their business is mainly limited to the USA and Europe. Our competitors in the Southeast Asia region are RoboSolutions from Singapore and Hench Robotics in Malaysia. However, RoboSolutions mainly focuses on a single product and develops various solutions around it, while Hench Robotics mainly focuses on warehouse solutions. Other competitors include Lionsbot in Singapore and Humanizing Technology (HT) from Germany. HT is a good solution development company, but they focus on selling software subscriptions, making their prices expensive. Furthermore, they do not directly compete in the Asia market. Lionsbot manufactures its own products and solutions, but their prices are still expensive.

We are looking to raise RM3.5 million via ECF on PitchIN for 10% equity at RM35 million post-money valuation. The funds will mainly be used for product development (30%) and talent acquisition (35%) and the balance is for operation (20%) and marketing (15%).

Vision

To Provide Innovative Solutions through Service Robotics that Empower Human Capabilities and Propel the Economy Forward.

Mission

To democratize Service Robotics business by offering affordable and reliable service robotics products & solutions. And to become the market leader for Service Robotics business in Malaysia and Asia region.

Founder, CEO & CTO

Dr. Hanafiah Yussof

Dr. Hanafiah Yussof is the founder, board director, and group CEO of Robopreneur Sdn Bhd. With over 20 years of experience in robotics research and development and business, he has earned a reputation as an esteemed academician, innovator, entrepreneur, and game-changer. His success in the field has made him a prominent figure in the campaign to achieve corporate-wide adoption of robotics technology in all businesses.

Dr. Hanafiah holds a Ph.D. in Information Science from Nagoya University in Japan, specializing in humanoid robots. He is a full-time lecturer and holds an associate professor position at the School of Engineering, UiTM. In addition to his exceptional academic and research achievements, Dr. Hanafiah is a visionary technopreneur who has won numerous awards for his pioneering work in service robotics technology, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2021, the SEBA Technopreneur of the Year Award in 2021, and the World Digital Economy Corporate CEO Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. He serves as chairman of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Malaysia Chapter, making him well-known among robotics scientists and researchers. Under his leadership, Robopreneur has grown from a university start-up to a fast-growing company of exceptional values, recognized by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) as a pioneer in Service Robotics.

Acquiring the right skills is crucial, and Dr. Hanafiah honed his problem-solving and project management skills from his 15 years of living, studying, and working in Japan. He adopted the work culture and ethics of typical Japanese companies, which emphasize punctuality, accuracy, and appreciation for the spirit of work. These values have prepared him to lead Robopreneur to become a successful robotics company.

With the goal of developing and distributing commercial robots that empower humanity, Dr. Hanafiah knows that Robopreneur will play an important role in the robotics industry and become a world-class robotics company.

Co-Founder, GM

Dr. Rubie Zahari

Dr. Rubie Zahari is a co-founder and Chief Administrative Officer of Robopreneur Sdn Bhd. With over 20 years of experience in academic research and over 10 years in corporate management and business, she is critical to the internal management of Robopreneur, overseeing finance and corporate governance. Her management skills and leadership have enabled Robopreneur to grow from an academic start-up to a market leader in the service robotics business in Malaysia.

Dr. Rubie holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Yamagata University in Japan, specializing in Material Science Engineering. Like Dr. Hanafiah, she is also well-versed in Japanese working culture, being precise, fast-learning, highly disciplined, and persistent, which makes her an excellent leader for Robopreneur's internal management. She was an Associate Professor at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) before retiring early to focus on Robopreneur's business.

In 2018, along with Robopreneur's CEO, Dr. Hanafiah Yussof, the company successfully secured a RM22 million project to develop Malaysia's first humanoid robot, ADAM. The robot was launched successfully in 2019, and since then, Robopreneur has expanded its R&D capabilities to offer robotics, automation, and AI products and solutions for the digital transformation of commercial businesses and social enterprises. 

Investment Offer

The Company

Robopreneur was founded by Dr. Hanafiah Yussof and Dr. Rubie Zahari in 2015 as a start-up company at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), where Dr. Hanafiah serves as Associate Professor. The company was established to commercialize Dr. Hanafiah’s research product on robotic rehabilitation systems for autism. It began in Dr. Hanafiah’s research lab, HUROBS Lab (Humanoid Robots and Bio-sensing Lab), at UiTM before moving to an incubator facility at UiTM-MTDC. The company started with five members, including the founders and three of Dr. Hanafiah’s students. It initially focused on commercializing a robotic therapy system for the autism community and selling the humanoid robot NAO for research and education.

After two years, Robopreneur grew and expanded its services to other robotic products and software programming solutions for industries. In 2018, it was awarded a project to develop Malaysia’s first humanoid robot, ADAM (Advanced Development Autonomous Machine), which was fully funded by the Ministry of Finance Malaysia. To execute the project, Robopreneur’s office was relocated to a larger facility at Futurise Center Cyberjaya, and its team size increased to 35, mostly engineers. This expansion allowed Robopreneur to build its industrial R&D capabilities and explore commercial projects in sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, oil and gas, and smart living.

In 2019, Robopreneur developed ROOKIE robotic kit for education and the Robotic Wheelchair Arm System, in addition to ADAM. The company also explored software and AI solutions for visual recognition systems and traffic management systems. Robopreneur signed strategic partnerships with foreign robotic makers such as Softbank Robotics, Furhat Robotics, Kinova Robotics, and Pudu Robotics, which opened opportunities for better products and solutions and global market exploration.

During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Robopreneur supported the Malaysian government by providing robotics solutions to combat the pandemic. The company quickly developed a smart thermal scanner with facial recognition and attendance management system, which was widely used in government facilities and commercial premises. Robopreneur has since ventured into robotic solutions for commercial and medical applications, such as restaurant automation, smart hotel solutions, and smart hospital solutions.

Robopreneur has received recognition and awards, including SME100 Fast Moving Companies Awards 2020, Sustainable Brand Award 2020, SUPERBRANDS Award 2021, and the winner of the Khazanah Impact Innovation Challenge 2021 for its product, Robotic Wheelchair Arm System. Its main challenge was creating awareness about service robotics, which was new to Malaysians at the time. Robopreneur overomes this challenge through dynamic strategy and strong leadership, funding its R&D activities and producing its own products from revenue generated from its business.

Robopreneur’s tagline is “Empowering Innovation” and reflects its efforts to assist customers and organizations with their digital transformation. The company’s brand logo is a humanoid robot head with a red brain symbolizing the intelligent robot that works closely with humans. The three corporate colours are red for bold innovation, black for modernity and futuristic lifestyle, and grey for resilience and sustainability.

Press

• https://www.utusan.com.my/berita/2022/08/fahami-sokong-keperluan-bajet-2023-kementerian-kesihatan-pm/
• https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/08/824002/long-delayed-bera-hospital-officially-opens-its-doors-nsttv

• https://www.ey.com/en_my/entrepreneur-of-the-year/ey-entrepreneur-of-the-year-malaysia/eoy-2021-malaysia-top-nominees/dr-hanafiah-yussof
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnW752knTTA

• https://www.techinasia.com/3-startups-powering-malaysias-industrial-revolution
• https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2019/05/27/beneficial-bots/#cxrecs_s

• https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/07/20/say-hello-to-adam-malaysias-very-own-humanoid-robot/
• https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/07/505637/step-aside-sophia-meet-malaysias-first-humanoid-robot-adam

• https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/07/19/meet-adam-malaysias-own-version-of-sophia-the-humanoid-robot/1772989
• https://www.thestartv.com/v/meet-malaysia-s-very-own-humanoid-robot

 
Awards and Recognition

• Top in Tech Innovation Awards 2022
• Top Finalist in Most Innovative Category
• EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• Top 3 nominees in Technology Category
• STAR Outstanding Business Awards 2021 - Meritorious Achievement in Best Use of Technology Category
• EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2021 - Top 3 nominees in Technology Category
• SME & Entrepreneurs Business Award 2021 (SEBA2021) - Technopreneur of The Year Award 2021
• SUPERBRANDS Award 2021
• Winner of Khazanah Impact Innovation Challenge (KIIC) 2021 - Robotics Wheelchair Arm System
• Malaysia Industry Personalities & Entrepreneurs Award 2021
• SME100 Fast Moving Company Award 2020
• SME100 Sustainable Brand Award 2020
• STAR Outstanding Business Award (SOBA) 2020 - Meritorious Achievement in Best Innovation Category

1. pitchIN and its officers and staff may also be investing in this campaign
2. Under ECF Guidelines, valuation is determined and set by the Issuer. Investors are advised to carefully peruse all investment offers and documents before making investment decisions.