SVT Robotics, a Norfolk-based company that accelerates the deployment of industrial robotics, will invest $101,400 to expand its operation at 730 West 20th Street in Norfolk. The company will construct a laboratory to house robotic equipment used to demonstrate its proprietary SOFTBOT™ Platform’s capabilities for clients and industrial manufacturers, which will create 37 new jobs.
Launched in 2018 by co-founders A.K. Schultz and Michael Howes, SVT Robotics develops products that expedite and streamline the deployment of industrial robotics in the manufacturing and warehousing industries. Their SOFTBOT™ Platform allows companies to connect and integrate their enterprise systems to any robot or automation in just days or weeks, rather than months or years.
The Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEPD) worked with the City of Norfolk and the Hampton Roads Alliance to secure the project for Virginia and will support SVT Robotics’ job creation through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program (VJIP), which provides consultative services and funding to companies creating new jobs in order to support employee recruitment and training activities. As a business incentive supporting economic development, VJIP reduces the human resource costs of new and expanding companies.
“We are thrilled by the ongoing efforts from the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City of Norfolk to create an environment that is extremely friendly to startups,” said A.K. Schultz, CEO and co-founder of SVT Robotics. “The VJIP jobs grant will make it easier for SVT to create tech jobs right here in Virginia. The ability to recruit the best technical talent is the lifeblood of tech companies and we applaud Virginia’s efforts to create strong tailwinds for firms like SVT.”