What Heartland Robotics Cluster does

The Heartland Robotics Cluster is a nonprofit collaborative consortium governed by Invest Nebraska and funded primarily by a $25 million multi-year Build Back Better grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration, awarded in September 2022. The cluster was one of 21 awardees selected from a competitive pool of 529 applications spanning all 50 states. It operates as a multi-institutional partnership of seven Nebraska entities — Invest Nebraska, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering, Northeast Community College, Metro Community College, Nebraska Innovation Studio, the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and The Combine — focused on building robotics and automation infrastructure across the state.

The cluster does not develop proprietary technology or sell commercial products. Instead, it serves as an organizing layer that pools partner resources to deliver five program pillars: AgTech startup support via The Combine incubator, infrastructure and R&D through makerspaces and fabrication labs, community and governance outreach, industry engagement through the Nebraska Industry Advisory Council and automation demo spaces for manufacturers, and workforce/education across K-12 STEM, university robotics engineering curriculum, and the Robotics Fellowship program. Its flagship event, the annual Heartland Robotics and Automation Conference launched in October 2023, grew from 180+ attendees in its inaugural year to 224 registrants and 172 in-person attendees (including 153 students) in 2024 — a 10% year-over-year increase. Other programmatic offerings include a 20-week Robotics Fellowship at Nebraska Innovation Studio, a mobile "BBB Trailer" education unit for rural K-12 outreach, and a fabrication lab at Northeast Community College that reached 600+ K-12 students through STEM camps in 2024.

The cluster's beneficiaries span AgTech startups, Nebraska manufacturers (including Kawasaki, Collins Aerospace, and Nucor/Vulcraft as industry panelists), university and community college students, K-12 students in underserved communities, and entrepreneurs. The Combine supported 10 AgTech startups in 2024 while the Manufacturing Extension Partnership trained over 50 companies on modern manufacturing tools. Revenue is not commercial — all programs are grant-funded or supported by partner contributions, with the cluster operating as a 1-10 person core staff headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, while program delivery is distributed across partner facilities in Lincoln, Omaha, and Norfolk.

Name

Heartland Robotics Cluster

Legal name

Heartland Robotics Cluster

Website

https://heartlandroboticscluster.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Heartland Robotics Cluster is a Nebraska nonprofit consortium of seven institutions, governed by Invest Nebraska and funded by a $25M federal EDA Build Back Better grant. It builds robotics infrastructure, expands the workforce pipeline, and supports AgTech startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Robotics Workforce Development

NAICS

Business Associations (81391), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs (EDAMADAA), Agricultural Robotics Integration, Retrofit & Automation Services (Kit installs, integration, maintenance) (AFAAAGAJ), Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH)

Keywords

• Robotics workforce development
• Automation infrastructure
• Agricultural robotics
• Manufacturing automation training
• STEM education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. EDA Build Back Better Grant: The primary funding source is a $25 million multi-year grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded in September 2022. This grant funds automation infrastructure development, R&D lab space, workforce training programs, makerspaces, and technical assistance for robotics startups.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Heartland Robotics Cluster is a collaborative nonprofit consortium that invests in Nebraska's automation infrastructure and grows the talent pipeline for robotics and automation. It operates five pillars — AgTech startup support, infrastructure/R&D, community & governance, industry engagement, and workforce/education — delivered through seven partner institutions including Invest Nebraska, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Northeast Community College, Metro Community College, Nebraska Innovation Studio, the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and The Combine.

Product overview

The Heartland Robotics Cluster is a collaborative initiative backed by a $25 million EDA Build Back Better grant, comprising seven Nebraska partners focused on building robotics and automation infrastructure. Rather than a single unified product, it operates as a multi-pillar ecosystem: the core offerings include annual Heartland Robotics and Automation Conferences for industry networking and knowledge sharing; the Robotics Fellowship program supporting innovative robotics projects; the AgTech startup incubator through The Combine; and workforce development programs including curriculum at community colleges and university levels. Supporting infrastructure includes automation demo spaces for manufacturers, expanded robotics makerspaces at Nebraska Innovation Studio, fabrication labs at Northeast Community College, and urban ag/robotics outreach through Metro Community College. The cluster also delivers training programs in automation, robotic prototyping, and embedded systems to upskill workers and entrepreneurs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heartland Robotics and Automation Conference Annual conference bringing together industry experts, entrepreneurs, investors, and robotics enthusiasts to explore the latest trends and advancements in robotics and automation. Features keynote speakers, breakout sessions, partner showcases, networking opportunities, and awards presentations.
• Robotics Fellowship Program 20-week fellowship program at Nebraska Innovation Studio supporting the development of innovative robotics projects by selected fellows. Aims to expand Nebraska's robotics ecosystem and attract talent.
• Automation Demo Space Demo space and program led by the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership that showcases automation technologies for Nebraska manufacturers to learn about and adopt robotics solutions. Trained over 50 companies on modern manufacturing tools in 2024.
• Robotics Makerspace Expansion Expanded 16,000-square-foot robotics makerspace at Nebraska Innovation Studio featuring programmable robotic arms, cutting-edge 3D printers, advanced 3D scanners, and electronics equipment for prototyping and training.
• Automation Fabrication Lab Fabrication lab managed by Northeast Community College providing access to equipment and training for entrepreneurs, industry professionals, and community members in robotics and automation. Part of the college's 18,000+ square foot iHub workforce and innovation facility.
• Urban Ag/Robotics Outreach and Training Outreach and training programs developed by Metro Community College combining urban agriculture with robotics to serve underserved communities, including K-12 curriculum for underrepresented students, robotics summer camps, and a mobile BBB Trailer education unit serving rural schools.
• The Combine AgTech Incubator AgTech incubator program managed by Invest Nebraska providing technical assistance, mentorship, and incubation support for robotic startups in the agricultural industry. Supported 10 agtech startups in 2024 and hosted the AgTech Connect Showcase.
• Introduction to Automation Programming Course Training course at Nebraska Innovation Studio teaching foundational automation concepts and skills to the local entrepreneur and business community.
• Introduction to Robotic Prototyping Programming Course Training course at Nebraska Innovation Studio focused on teaching robotic prototyping techniques for entrepreneurs and business professionals.
• Introduction to Embedded Systems Programming Course Training course at Nebraska Innovation Studio teaching embedded systems development for robotics applications.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Ryan McCormick from JPL serves as a breakout session speaker at the 2025 Heartland Robotics and Automation Conference, discussing the Cold Operable Lunar Deployable Arm (COLDArm) project and Mars 2020 Force Sensor work.
• 1XminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Dar Sleeper, VP of Growth at 1X, served as a keynote speaker at the 2024/2025 conference. 1X is known for humanoid robotics work and integration of robots into daily life.
• FMC VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Matt Foley, Senior Associate at FMC Ventures, served as keynote speaker discussing agricultural robotics and automation in farming. Focus on emerging technologies in agriculture sector.
• HEBI RoboticsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025David Rollinson from HEBI Robotics delivered opening keynote at 2023 conference on 'Building Practical Robots for Today.'
• Collins AerospaceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Doug Rood, Senior Manager of Operations Quality at Collins Aerospace in York, NE, served as robotics industry panelist at 2025 conference. Collins Aerospace represents Nebraska manufacturing and industry involvement in the cluster.
• Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing Corp., U.S.A.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Mike Boyle, President and CEO of Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing in Lincoln, NE, served as robotics industry panelist. Kawasaki is a major Nebraska manufacturer actively using robotics in operations.
• Nucor Corporation (Vulcraft/Verco)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Derek Kowalski, Process Automation Manager at Nucor's Vulcraft/Verco Group, served as robotics industry panelist discussing steel and manufacturing automation.
• Virtual IncisionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Shane Farritor, CTO of Virtual Incision and David and Nancy Lederer Professor at UNL, provided conference remarks and demos. Virtual Incision is a medical robotics company affiliated with UNL research.
• Marble TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Participated in demonstration activities at the 2023 Heartland Robotics and Automation Conference showcasing latest innovations in robotics and automation.
• MetalQuest Unlimited, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2023Hebron, Nebraska manufacturer that provides robotics in manufacturing tours for UNL students. Member of Heartland Robotics Industry Advisory Council. Develops logistics and plant layouts for integrating robotics.
• Invest NebraskaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Invest Nebraska serves as the governance organization for the Heartland Robotics Cluster. As a private, non-profit statewide venture development organization, Invest Nebraska works directly with entrepreneurs, researchers, and companies to help commercialize technologies and access needed capital. CEO Dan Hoffman leads the cluster initiative.
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022The only engineering college in Nebraska provides robotics engineering curriculum development and R&D robotic lab space at the UNL College of Engineering. The college is developing a new Bachelor of Science in Robotics Engineering and hosts the NIMBUS Lab for aerial drone research.
• Northeast Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Managing the automation fabrication lab and providing workforce training in automation. The college's iHub is an 18,000+ square foot workforce and innovation facility. Reached 600+ K-12 students through STEM camps in 2024.
• Metro Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Developing urban ag/robotics outreach and training programs. Operates a K-12 curriculum for underrepresented students, robotics summer camps, and a mobile BBB Trailer education unit. Serves more than 40,000 students.
• Nebraska Innovation StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022A 16,000-square-foot makerspace on Nebraska Innovation Campus that expands robotics makerspace capabilities. Equipped with robotic arms, 3D printers, scanners, wood shop, metal shop, and programming areas. Awarded $4.1 million from the HRC grant.
• Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022Part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Hollings MEP program. Leading the development of automation demo space and program for Nebraska manufacturers. Trained over 50 companies on modern manufacturing tools in 2024.
• The CombinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022An AgTech incubator program managed by Invest Nebraska that provides technical assistance for robotic AgTech startups. Supported 10 agtech startups in 2024 and hosted the AgTech Connect Showcase. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RoboticsCluster
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heartland-robotics-cluster

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Heartland Robotics Cluster