Press Release: London’s First and Finest Robot Factory

02.11.18

World-leading robotics company celebrates 21^st birthday with a new robot supply house in London.

The Shadow Robot Company, pioneers in robot hands, bring a robotic hub of state-of-the-art technology into the heart of London, close to Hampstead Heath. To mark their grand opening, Sir Keir Starmer, MP for Holborn and St Pancras and Shadow Secretary of State for Brexit, visits the newly acquired premises (Unit 31, Spectrum House, NW5 1LP) along with Richard Gnodde, CEO of Goldman Sachs International representing Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK (10KSB). Shadow’s infamous robot dexterous hand, based on one of the most complex mechanism in nature, will also feature at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The new factory is strategically positioned to boost the sector and help cultivate the capital’s tech talent by generating a diverse tech community among Londoners. Along with creating highly-skilled jobs and sharing technological solutions to real-world problems, the company works with large organisations and is an enabler to evolving other crucial sectors which in turn inspires the next.

Shadow’s Dexterous Hand has recently gained interest in nuclear decommissioning, aids research among academics and universities, has been used for ground-breaking discoveries into artificial intelligence and their transformative teleoperation system is being developed for space missions as part of the AVATAR X programme. It falls in line with the UK’s roadmap to secure the UK’s position at the forefront of space robotics and with the government’s Smart London Plan, to transform London into one of the world’s leading smart cities.

Sir Keir Starmer says: “I’m delighted to be opening the Shadow Robot Company’s new offices in Camden. London and the UK has a proud history of leading the world in new and innovative technologies. It’s essential we protect this legacy and continue to invest in the jobs and the economy of the future.”

Despite certain fears around AI, autonomy, and robots, Shadow has maintained their 21-years-old reputation as an ethical company promoting the safe and fair use of robotics. From concept to completion, Shadow’s one-stop-shop focusses on intelligent design, research and development, data-sharing, manufacturing and shipping among clients and collaborators all over the globe.

Rich Walker, Managing Director (who has been involved with Shadow since a teen) says: “When I first started, we were just moving on from the BBC Micro, and the internet connection was yet to come. Now as a country, we are firmly at the apex of robotics activity and The Shadow Robot Company are proud to be taking robotic hands out of the claustrophobic lab and into the real world.”

The move comes a year after Shadow opened its Spanish office, Shadow Robot España and is necessitated by a rise in demand for Shadow’s robotic hands along with their hardware, software, and contract engineering services. To continue nurturing new developments in the field of robotics, a bigger powerhouse became essential as it will enable Shadow to meet increased customer demands and double their production and R&D capabilities.

Richard Gnodde, CEO of Goldman Sachs International says: “Since graduating from Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses in 2012, Rich has taken the incredible promise of his business to the next level. We are delighted to see Rich realise his ambitions and expand his business with the opening of his new state of the art facility in London.”

The new 3513 sq. ft venue is seven times larger than Shadow’s previous HQ and a major upgrade from their humble beginnings as a hobbyist group in an attic. It’s impressive considering that Shadow’s Founder, Richard Greenhill, was a photographer by trade with no tech background.

 

Update: You can watch the video of Sir Keir Starmer at our office here:

SUPPORTING MATERIAL FOR EDITORS:

About 10,000 Small Businesses UK: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK is an investment to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing business and management training to high-growth small businesses in the UK. The 100-hour curriculum has been designed specifically by world-class international and national experts in entrepreneurial learning to be practical and applied.

 

In the UK, the program is run and led by the Oxford Said Business School and is open to the owner or senior decision maker of an established small business, with at least £250,000 turnover and between 5-50 employees. The program is fully funded by Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation, is free for all participants, and to-date has reached over 1,400 participants in the UK.

 

History of the Shadow Robot Company: https://bit.ly/2R2DaH1 and https://bit.ly/2Any8zr

Shadow’s products including the Dexterous Hand: https://bit.ly/2PNDM38

Shadow’s research with Open AI: https://bit.ly/2yS3A6F and https://bit.ly/2vkUkq9

AVATAR X space programme using Shadow’s Teleoperation System: https://bit.ly/2PHPH1T

Smart London Plan: https://bit.ly/2sWR1UU

Shadow Robot España: https://bit.ly/2CZgXH1

Shadow’s new address: Unit 31, Spectrum House, 32-34 Gordon House Rd, NW5 1LP