Liz Upton, Co-Founder of Raspberry Pi, has been appointed Chair of the Board at BOW, a robotics software company based in Sheffield, England. Upton, who co-founded Raspberry Pi in 2008 and served as Chief Marketing Officer, played a central role in the company’s growth, including the sale of over 60 million units globally and its recent public listing on the London Stock Exchange.
BOW focuses on removing barriers to robotics adoption through its universal robotics software platform. The company’s robot-agnostic software development kit (SDK) allows developers to program robots using any operating system and programming language, reducing reliance on specialized robotics expertise. This approach aims to expand robotics applications across a range of industries by enabling generalist software developers to engage with robotics programming.
Upton’s appointment coincides with BOW’s efforts to accelerate robotics adoption, including a partnership with XPLOR, an innovation center for live events. The collaboration seeks to develop new robotics applications in the film and creative industries, enhancing efficiency and reducing production costs.
In her statement, Upton expressed enthusiasm for joining BOW, highlighting the company’s potential to make robotics technology accessible by addressing current programming challenges. She drew parallels between BOW’s mission and her work at Raspberry Pi, emphasizing the importance of democratizing technology to address global challenges.
Nick Thompson, CEO of BOW, welcomed Upton to the company, praising her experience in scaling technology businesses and her commitment to innovation and education. He also acknowledged the contributions of Pete Hopton, BOW’s outgoing Chair, since 2020.
