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Turning industrial robotics into operational reality

An industry-embedded accelerator for robotics and automation scale-ups. CORE Foundry runs as a 16-week hybrid program, taking robotics companies through technical de-risking, mine-site validation and commercial readiness, culminating in live demos to industry customers and investors.

Partner with us →See the program

CORE Foundry is taking partnership applications. If you’re an industry partner, a technology partner or a service partner, submit your EOI today.

Submit your EOI →
The program · 16 weeks

Three phases. One mission: forge industry-ready robotics companies

01
Phase 01 · Weeks 1–4

The Melt

Liquify the logic

  • Understanding the WA market
  • Technical review and due diligence
  • Safety and HAZOP checks
  • Procurement 101
  • Intro and plan with the Expert in Residence and Technical Lead
  • Customer meetings locked in
  • Customised mentor matching

Partner roleMentors and selection panel

02
Phase 02 · Weeks 5–12

The Cast

Shape it in the dirt

  • Field testing at the AARP
  • Mine site visits, underground and surface
  • Ruggedisation, comms and cybersecurity
  • WA mining regulator briefing
  • Workshops and masterclasses
  • Weekly check-ins and 1:1 mentoring

Partner roleWorkshops, site visits and field testing support

03
Phase 03 · Weeks 13–16

The Forge

Harden the edge

  • Stage-gated demos: internal, friendly customer, then live
  • Investor pitch and IM preparation
  • Customer and Investor Demo Day
  • Outcomes: signed customer, investor interest, local entity and completed IM

Partner roleFirst-look seat at all demos, with input before companies go to market

Partner with CORE Foundry

The leaders in industrial robotics will be the ones closest to the field

Partnerships are tailored to each partner and can blend cash sponsorship with in-kind support across Cohorts 01 and 02.

Industry

Solve real operational problems

  • Problem statements, site access and mentors
  • De-risked pilots, proven at the AARP first
  • First look at scale-ups before they reach the market
  • A seat on the selection panel
Submit your EOI →

Technology

Embed your technology early

  • Technology and in-kind support for the cohort
  • Embed your platform with scale-ups early, and grow with them
  • See cohort tech proven at the AARP
  • Joint storytelling alongside CORE and DevelopmentWA
Submit your EOI →

Services

Showcase your expertise

  • Run workshops and masterclasses in your area of strength
  • Mentor founders and shape the cohort
  • Grow with scale-ups from day one
  • Help position WA as a global leader in robotics and physical AI
Submit your EOI →
Technology focus areas

CORE Foundry is right for…

01

Industrial robotics

Autonomous arms, mobile manipulation, collaborative systems, enabling dark factories.

02

Autonomous vehicles

Mining trucks, logistics, heavy-haul and underground systems.

03

Drone systems

Survey, inspection, payload and swarm technologies.

04

AI for robotics

Perception, navigation, manipulation and autonomy.

05

Infrastructure inspection

Non-destructive testing, corrosion, structural monitoring.

06

Defence & dual-use

Ruggedised platforms and technologies with civilian crossover.

For founders

Built for the field, not the lab

Expert support, real field testing and a thriving robotics ecosystem.

Expert time

1:1 time with the Expert in Residence and Technical Lead, plus partner expertise.

Learn from industry

Workshops, masterclasses and sessions from industry experts.

Field testing

Field testing at the AARP with operator feedback, plus extended site time if required.

Space and compute

Coworking, compute access and the CORE network of partners, talent and capital.

Go global

Site visits and global immersion for founders and partners.

Cohort 01 · Who it’s for

Built for technology that has to work in the harshest places on earth

Mining is our primary vertical, with dual-use applications across agriculture, defence, energy, construction and advanced manufacturing. Hardware and physical AI only, no SaaS. 6–8 companies per cohort, recruited globally.

Stage
TRL 4–5+, past prototype, with a working product ready to scale
Deployment
A clear path to an industrial site within 12–18 months
Commitment
CEO or co-founder in Perth for the Cast phase at the AARP
Register your founder EOI →Founder applications open November 2026
Why Western Australia

WA is the world’s proving ground for industrial robotics

The best physical innovation infrastructure, the deepest industry connections, proven expertise and direct access to tier-one customers. Nowhere else has all four.

Field / AARP · 51 ha · Western Australia
01

Heavy industry on the doorstep

The largest cluster of heavy industry customers, with real industrial problems and a need to mine deeper, more safely and efficiently.

02

Proven autonomy expertise

Proven autonomy and deployment expertise, concentrated in Perth, with tier-one and mid-tier miners close by.

03

Physical test infrastructure

The AARP: a 51 ha test, demo and showcase facility, the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

04

A 15–20 year megatrend

Physical AI is a 15–20 year megatrend. We’re just getting started.

Why CORE Foundry

What is unique about CORE Foundry?

01

Direct access to partners

Direct access to industry, technology and service partners, plus project grants.

02

Co-located teams

Co-located teams can accelerate technology development.

03

The AARP

A 51 ha test and demo site, with pre-approvals for drilling and other testing activities.

04

Scale-up focus only

Industrial robotics companies at TRL 4–5+, ready to deploy on a mine site within 12–18 months.

05

Brand-agnostic test ground

A common-user test ground for new mine technology, proven next to live mine systems.

~0%

Less testing time at the AARP: 14–16 months cut to around 9, with two tier-one customers signed.

Wireline Services Group, Tribe Tech & Jevons Robotics
0days

Turnaround to access the test site, versus months elsewhere.

AARP approvals
$0M

Projected economic impact of the AARP by 2030.

CORE projection
The global opportunity

The next decade will be defined by who can produce more energy, minerals, food and infrastructure

Robotics and automation is how we get there.

<0%

Of the world’s mine sites are automated. The other 95% are the market.

Mining Technology / GlobalData
0%

Of Australian robotics companies service mining.

Australian robotics sector
0–0M

Industrial robots operating worldwide by 2030.

IFR World Robotics Report
Why it stalls

We get it. Industrial robotics is hard.

  1. No access to real-world testing environments
  2. Limited pipeline to industrial customers
  3. Long validation cycles that drain runway
  4. High capital requirements before revenue
  5. Disconnect between lab performance and field reality
The team

The people you’ll be working with

With global and national experience in robotics, automation, scaling startups and running accelerators, the CORE Foundry team is built for success.

Renu Kannu

Global Robotics Accelerator Lead

Dr Adrian Boeing

Technical Lead

Sarah Coleman

Expert in Residence

Brodie McCulloch

Advisor
Industry · Technology · Services · Founders

Let’s step into the Foundry.

Partner with CORE Foundry, or register your interest for Cohort 01.

Partner with us →Founder EOI