FORT Robotics

What it does

FORT Robotics sells safety and control components that sit between people and machines such as mobile robots, autonomous vehicles, humanoids and heavy equipment. It calls the combination a "Trust Layer" with three parts: human-in-the-loop control (e-stops and remote controls), inside-out safety (rules using sensors on the robot) and outside-in safety (rules using sensors in the site, such as cameras, lidar, fire alarms and door controls) ^[1].

The hardware addresses a basic hazard of mobile and autonomous machines: someone nearby needs a reliable way to stop them. The Wireless E-Stop Pro is a wearable device that sends stop, crawl or pause commands over FORT's version of Bluetooth Low Energy, with a stated 200 m line-of-sight range and dual-channel monitoring ^[4]. The Endpoint Controller sends and receives safety commands over Wi-Fi, Ethernet, BLE or sub-GHz radio, can command up to 30 machines at once, and can be triggered by inputs such as buttons, fire alarms, light curtains and door switches ^[5]. FORT says both carry SIL 3 certification under IEC 61508 from the certification body exida ^{[4] [8]}.

On the software side, FORT Manager is a cloud service for pairing devices, building configurations and setting user permissions ^[6]. The Rules Engine lets builders define deterministic responses (slow, pause, divert, e-stop) to sensor inputs, with a tamper-locked event recorder for incident review ^[7].

Who it is for

FORT's main customers are companies that build robots and autonomous machines and need certified stop and control functions. It names Agility Robotics, DoorDash, Zoox, Textron, Forterra, Ocado and Google DeepMind among more than 600 customers ^[3]. Sites that run mixed fleets can also use its outside-in approach to send stop or slow commands to robots from facility sensors ^[1].

How it is deployed

Devices are fitted to each machine and paired through FORT Manager, which FORT says allows only authenticated devices to communicate ^[6]. The Endpoint Controller can reuse existing Wi-Fi and Ethernet networks ^[5]. FORT also offers services for safety architecture, training and certification support ^[1].

A SIL 3 component does not make the whole machine SIL 3. The machine builder still has to design and validate the complete safety function, including the robot's own stopping behavior.

Notable public customers and coverage

FORT was founded in 2018 by Samuel Reeves, who previously ran a landmine-clearance robotics company; its senior leadership is named on its website ^{[2] [3]}. FORT says it raised $60.5 million in total by August 2025, led by Tiger Global ^[10]. In August 2026 it announced a merger with Newbury Street II Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company, valuing the combined company at $556.6 million in enterprise value and reporting 62% revenue growth in 2025; completion is subject to approvals ^[3].

In October 2026, trade press reported a formal partnership with Agility Robotics covering a safety pendant, on-robot communications and an off-robot safety bridge for the Digit 5 humanoid ^[11]. FORT publishes a case study with Bay Shore Systems on a remote control for a drilling attachment, with qualitative feedback only ^[12]. We found no independent test of FORT devices or of outcomes at deployed sites.

Things to ask in an evaluation

• Can you see the exida certificates, including the safety manual and the conditions of use?
• What is the reaction time from button press to machine stop over each radio type, and how is signal loss handled?
• Which rules in the Rules Engine are safety-rated, and which are productivity logic?
• What does FORT Manager store in the cloud, and can devices run if the cloud service is unavailable?
• How would the pending public listing change support terms or pricing?

Our take

Strengths

• Focused on certified stop and control functions for mobile machines, with SIL 3 certification claimed from exida ^{[4] [8]}.
• Claims a completed SOC 2 Type 2 examination for its data controls ^[9].
• Long customer list across robot makers, including a multi-year humanoid program with Agility ^{[3] [11]}.

Watch-outs

• Customer outcomes are not quantified; the one published case study is qualitative ^[12].
• No public pricing, security page or data processing agreement ^{[6] [13]}.
• The company is mid-way through a SPAC merger, so ownership and finances may change ^[3].

Best fit: Robot and autonomous machine builders that need certified wireless stop and remote control functions, and large sites that want facility-wide stop commands across mixed robot fleets.