Build, test and pilot industrial AI, autonomy and robotics with real companies, real data and real operating environments.
Built where industry
actually runs.
Real industrial challenges, picked by partners.
Builders work on problems set by the people who own them, not on hypotheticals.
Real data, real sites, real operators.
Access to industrial data, plant context and the people who run the operations.
One real outcome at the end.
A signed pilot, a letter of intent, or an evidence-based no-go. Nothing in between.
Industrial AI is moving from screens to systems.
The next wave of industrial competitiveness will come from companies that connect digital intelligence with physical execution: robotics, autonomy, drones, machine vision, sensing and edge.
AI that predicts failures before downtime happens
Drones and robots that inspect places people should not have to enter
Autonomy that helps machines, vessels and assets operate safer and smarter
Edge AI and sensor systems that work in real industrial environments
Decision support embedded into operator workflows, not left in a dashboard
Physical AI that learns from simulation, sensor data and real-world feedback loops
Built for builders.
Backed by industry.
For Builders
You build. We bring the industrial pull.
Technical founders, student ventures and early-stage startups in industrial AI, robotics, autonomy or edge. You get real challenges, domain experts, relevant data and a structured path to pilot.
Apply as a builderFor Industry Partners
You have the problems. We bring the builders.
Industrial companies that want a faster way to explore, validate and pilot AI, autonomy and robotics. You define challenges, provide data or site context, and join structured decision gates.
Become an Industry Partner
In the Lab
Inside the Lab. Inside industry.
What belongs in the Lab.
Solutions that can be validated against a real industrial challenge within 6 months.
Good fits
- →AI software with clear industrial workflow integration
- →Robotics or drone systems testable in a bounded environment
- →Autonomy software for existing machines, vessels, drones or robots
- →Sensor, inspection or edge systems connected to physical assets
- →Machine vision for quality, safety, monitoring or inspection
- →Data infrastructure that makes AI or robotics deployable
Not a fit
- Pure idea-stage teams without a technical owner
- Long-horizon hardware R&D with no realistic pilot path
- General-purpose humanoid robotics with no bounded use case
- Standalone dashboards or copilots with no operational owner
- Consulting projects without a product or venture path
The problems worth solving.
Working in a different area? Apply anyway. The right challenge doesn't need a category.
6 months. One real outcome.
Selection and Matching
Teams selected and matched with relevant industrial challenges, mentors and partner owners.
Problem Framing and Pilot Scope
Turn a broad industrial problem into a measurable use case, with clear ROI logic, data needs and safety constraints.
Build and Technical Validation
Build the model, system, prototype or integration. Validate against real data or a bounded test environment.
Field Readiness and Integration
Workflow integration, edge setup, safety checks, user feedback and deployment planning.
Pilot Packaging and Commercial Path
Convert technical progress into a pilot package: scope, success metrics, pricing, responsibilities, next-step decision.
Fast Track Days and Partner Decision.
Present to partners and investors. The program ends with a single, sharp question.
A rhythm that keeps teams moving.
Weekly
Lab Clinic
2 to 3h
Founder Standups
45 to 60 min
Biweekly
Partner Review
60 to 90 min
Monthly
Technical Deep Dive
2h
Community and Investor Sessions
1.5 to 2h
People who stay in the room.
Eight of the people you'll build with — drawn from a wider RunwayFBU network of more than 100 operators, founders and investors across industrial AI, robotics, product and growth.
Joachim Hovland
Head of Drones and Robotics
Aker Solutions
Tyler Olderskog
Digital and Improvement Manager
NorSea
Karine Braaten
VP Innovation
Telenor
Dr Tomasz Wiktorski
Principal Technical Program Engineer
Aker BP
Sara Amar
Chief AI Officer
Aker Solutions
Kristoffer Gjerde
Robotics Strategy Director
Cognite
Jo Øvstaas
Director of Ocean Innovation
Hub Ocean
Karen Czachorowski
Digital Technology Lead - Strategy and Transformation
Aker BP
RunwayFBU’s mentor network runs 100+ deep — and every team in the Lab gets access to all of it.
Apply to the LabCommon questions.
01What does it cost?+
02Is this an accelerator?+
03Is equity taken from builders?+
04What stage should we be at?+
05Does robotics hardware fit?+
06Does my team need to be based in Norway?+
07How much time does this require?+
08What outcomes can teams expect?+
09What do industry partners contribute?+
Build what works in the physical world.
For builders who want access, pressure, and a real path to pilot. No equity taken. For industry partners who have real challenges and want real progress.
Aker Tech House, Fornebu · Cohort 1 starts June 2026
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