Rubicon Robotics

Columbia Business School

Industry: Sports/Robotics

MBA Founding Student Name(s): Avery Schonberger

Brief Description of Solution: Rubicon develops robots to autonomously film athletes and complementary AI software to analyze the video.

Funding Dollars: Bootstrapped

What led you to launch this venture? I have played sports my entire life. Growing up playing baseball at a very competitive level through high school, I spent a large amount of time trying to improve my game. I remember struggling with using film in practice effectively due to poor camera quality, inconsistent angles, and a lack of platforms designed for in-depth analysis. Years later, I learned from a family connection in the swimming industry about the difficulties and high costs of underwater filming for swimmers. It piqued my interest again and made me start questioning what improvements in the world of sports tech could still be necessary for growing athletes.

After conducting thorough customer and industry research, it became clear that acquiring underwater film for swimmers was a significant problem. Without high-quality film, it’s nearly impossible to accurately analyze a swimmer’s underwater form, which is crucial for improvement. 72% of collegiate swimmers view underwater work as the most important part of their practice, yet existing solutions are insufficient. With my educational background in mechanical and electrical engineering, a professional history in electromechanical and software engineering, an MBA in progress, and a passion for sports, I saw a prime opportunity to address this problem. I was well-positioned to bring an innovative solution to market, launching what would become my current venture. Our plans don’t stop with swimming either; we’re eyeing the sports of golf and running by 2025 to address their similar unfulfilled filming needs.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far with venture? One of our most significant accomplishments to date has been the successful development of an operational robot, alongside conducting tests with Columbia Swim & Dive. These tests garnered attention, and we’ve sparked interest from USA Swim and several Division 1 college coaches, validating the potential of our technology in real-world settings.

What has been the most significant challenge you’ve faced in creating your company and how did you solve it? The biggest challenge was developing a physical robot on a limited budget, without the luxury of a large R&D expense. We overcame this by focusing on cost-effective solutions such as 3D printing and being very strategic in material selection. Early-stage testing was done in simulation environments, and having student interns on the team to manage the workload and gain fresh perspectives was critical. With a rotating team of interns, we successfully built both the hardware and software components of the product. Winning pitch competitions also helped fund essential tools, further aiding our development process. By leveraging in-house 3D printing, we were able to rapidly iterate on designs, saving both time and money.

How has your MBA program helped you further this startup venture? The resources at Columbia Business School have been vital to Rubicon’s growth. Columbia Build Lab, which staffs MBA ventures with engineering student interns, played a critical role in our software development and hardware testing. The interns from the program were indispensable in helping refine the technology. Additionally, the Summer Startup Track program provided valuable co-working sessions and advisor support that was crucial in shaping our go-to-market strategy and business plan. These initiatives provided not only a foundation for product development but also a network of peers and mentors who continue to offer guidance.

What founder or entrepreneur inspired you to start your own entrepreneurial journey? How did he or she prove motivational to you? While many famous entrepreneurs are often held up as icons, I find it difficult to fully relate to them. Many are either far more brilliant than I can be or more cutthroat than I aspire to be. My motivation comes from a more personal place – technology and the ability to create something from nothing. One experience that stands out was during college, when I bought a portable Brookstone phone charger.

I remember being amazed by how something so simple and practical could be mass-produced and sold. This small and seemingly insignificant moment was the embodiment of my realization that technology could not only improve people’s lives, but also create opportunities for business. The desire to be a part of that and be a critical player in creating new and useful inventions became my primary motivation to contribute to the world with my tech.

Which MBA class has been most valuable in building your startup and what was the biggest lesson you gained from it?

The Entrepreneurial Greenhouse Masterclass has been the most impactful class for me. The course offered speaker sessions featuring subject matter experts across various fields, such as pitching, investment strategy, and marketing, which were invaluable for a first-time founder like me. Additionally, one-on-one coaching from the professors, who are serial entrepreneurs, gave me practical advice on navigating the startup landscape.

The biggest lesson I gained was the importance of goal-management. Every week, we had to submit updates and goals. Over time, I developed a personalized template for tracking progress and communicating regular updates. This structure has been instrumental in helping me stay organized and focused on tracking and meeting objectives.

What professor made a significant contribution to your plans and why? Professor Ross Goldenberg, who teaches Growth Hacking, played a significant role in shaping my business plans through his insightful advising sessions and one-on-one coaching. His approach was not just about providing feedback, but about challenging me with thought-provoking questions that pushed me to think critically about key aspects of my business. Often, it was the smallest of insights or observations he shared that ended up having the most profound impact on my strategy. His dual role as my summer advisor and professor allowed us to build a strong working relationship, enabling him to offer deeply personalized guidance. His thoughtful mentorship empowered me to refine and elevate my business model in ways I hadn’t previously considered, making his contributions to my MBA education invaluable to my entrepreneurial journey.

How has your local startup ecosystem contributed to your venture’s development and success? New York City has been a great environment for my startup. With a dense population of universities, high schools, and gyms, I’ve been able to access high-quality early customers with ease. The NYC robotics network, which is part of the city’s already large and still rapidly growing tech landscape, provided me access to high quality engineers and technical connections to help my venture. Connections from this group have even led me to make employment offers.

NYC’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is also robust, with a substantial number of angel investors, venture capital connections, and resources for sports technology. NYC has the most professional sports teams in the country and produces the fourth most professional athletes of any US city, making it the perfect place for Rubicon to grow.

What is your long-term goal with your startup? Our long-term vision is to revolutionize how athletes practice and improve. We are making analytics based coaching accessible to any athlete, not just elite competitors. In the coming years, we plan to expand Rubicon’s technology beyond swimming and into other sports, like golf and running. Ultimately, we are working to create a future where athletes can maximize their potential and improve faster than ever before, using data-driven insights from their training sessions.

Looking back, what is the biggest lesson you wished you’d known before launching and scaling your venture? One of the biggest lessons I wish I had learned earlier is the importance of building a solid team before focusing on the product. In the early days of Rubicon, we had a fully rotating team of interns, which was great for fresh ideas but made it difficult to maintain consistency and efficiency. Once I secured longer-term engineering talent and implemented internal processes with them, our work became much more effective. If I had put more effort into team-building from the start, I believe we would be even further along in our development today.

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