It’s been a busy week in the local robotics scene. Boston-based Rethink Robotics, led by longtime MIT researcher Rod Brooks, has unveiled its new industrial robot , called Baxter. The humanoid robot has two arms and is designed to work safely and economically in small factories. Meanwhile, Bedford-based iRobot has acquired Evolution Robotics for $74 million to tighten its grip on the floor-cleaning market. This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the company’s Roomba vacuum cleaner.
In other innovation news…
U.S. corporate venture capital investments were up in the second quarter of 2012. Massachusetts ranked second behind California and ahead of New York, with $80 million invested in 12 companies.
Speaking of corporate VC, our deal of the week is a $42.5 million financing round for Cambridge-based Foundation Medicine. The company started in 2009 and is developing personalized diagnostics for cancer.
And finally, if you’re looking for unique shopping ideas, check out Lexington-based Daily Grommet. The startup, which features one unusual product a day , has raised new money from Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, which owns Buy.com. It’s an interesting development as brands compete for the attention of consumers who have less and less time to spend online. Which might not be such a bad thing.
