Zora Bots

Zora Bots, founded in 2011 by co-founders Fabrice Goffin and Tommy Deblieck, is a Belgian company specializing in software solutions for humanoid robots. The company is headquartered in Ostend, Belgium. The initial idea for the company reportedly originated from a shared dream between the two friends to create a real-world counterpart to Star Wars' R2D2. Goffin, with a background in business and management, including a directorship at the World Trade Center in Antwerp, handles the sales and international aspects of the business. Deblieck is the technical counterpart, focusing on the technological development of their products.

The core of Zora Bots' offering is the ZBOS (ZoraBots Operating System), a proprietary no-code software platform. This system is designed to act as the 'brain' for robots, enabling users without programming skills to control and interact with them. The platform works by allowing hardware and software to communicate, supporting various applications on different supported robots. The primary hardware platform for the Zora solution is the Nao humanoid robot from SoftBank Robotics (formerly Aldebaran). Zora Bots formed a partnership with Aldebaran in 2014 to launch its healthcare solution in Europe, which later expanded globally.

The company targets several B2B markets, including healthcare, education, hospitality, and retail. In healthcare, the robots are used in nursing homes, hospitals, and care centers to assist with tasks like leading physical therapy sessions, providing information, and reducing patient anxiety. They are also used with young autistic children and in pediatric care to entertain and distract during medical procedures. In the education sector, the platform aims to make learning about technology intuitive for students of varying skill levels. For hospitality and retail, the robots can serve as receptionists, provide information, and handle repetitive tasks. The business model appears to be centered on selling the software solution, which comes pre-installed on hardware like the Nao robot. One source from 2016 mentioned a monthly price of $295 for the Zora Solution. While the company has not had any formal funding rounds, it has expanded its partnerships and client base globally.

Keywords: humanoid robotics, software platform, no-code robotics, ZBOS, healthcare robotics, educational robotics, elder care technology, special needs education, Nao robot, SoftBank Robotics partner, hospitality automation, retail technology, human-robot interaction, robotics as a service, physical therapy robot, Fabrice Goffin, Tommy Deblieck, care robots, social robots, interactive robots