FORT Robotics said it is building the trust layer for physical AI. Source: FORT Robotics
As robots become more autonomous and enter more spaces with people, the need for a trustworthy safety technology stack has grown. FORT Robotics Inc. today said it is merging with Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp., a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC.
“How we trust physical AI will be one of the defining questions of our time, and answering it will be a key enabler that will move these next-generation machines from isolated pilot programs to real, scalable adoption,” he asserted.
“Safety is often an afterthought,”Amod Damle, head of product at FORT Robotics, toldThe Robot Report. “It’s looked at as an inhibitor to innovation. Our controllers give peace of mind and are at the highest safety compliance level.”
Founded in 2018, FORT Roboticsgrew out of Reeves’s previous company Humanistic Robotics, which built robots to clear landmines.
“We’re not just looking at products in isolation, but also as layers,” said Damle. “There’s the hardware and firmware for safety compliance, and the second layer includes cloud intelligence, telemetry, AI insights, and co-pilots. The third layer consists of ecosystems and interfaces — APIs and tablets. Being forward thinking in AI is table stakes.”
In January 2026, FORT RoboticslaunchedWireless E-Stop Pro, a safety-certifiedwearabledevice designed to prevent accidents and maximize uptime across modern worksites. The company alsoreleased FORT 2.61, which added software plans, API access, more granular control options, and enhanced safety behaviors.
In May, FORT expanded The Trust Layer through itsacquisition of Mapless AI, a full-stackteleoperationcompany. It added remote human-in-the-loop control and onboard active safety to FORT’s existing platform.
In June, FORT Roboticsannounced a strategic collaborationwithNVIDIA, following an “outside-in” safety approach as part of theHalos for Roboticsecosystem
Thecompanysaid its 600 customers includeAgility,Google DeepMind,Cobot,Zoox,RIVR,Carnegie Robotics, Textron,Forterra, Genie,Ocado,Oxa, andDoorDash. It cited users across industries includinghumanoidrobotics,warehousing, transportation, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, mining, energy, anddefense.
“No matter the use case, if safety annoys workers, they won’t use it, which will slow down the workflow,” Damle acknowledged. “If functional safety is foundational and transparent, there’s an opportunity for the whole ecosystem to grow.”
FORT Robotics demonstrated strong growth leading up to itsSPACdeal by staying focused on its customers, said Damle.