TERN is an Austin-based startup building IDPS (Independently Derived Positioning System), an AI-powered, software-only alternative to GPS. Instead of relying on satellite signals that can be jammed, spoofed, or blocked by tall buildings and tunnels, TERN's AI reads the sensors already inside vehicles and phones - accelerometers, gyroscopes, speedometers - and matches that motion against existing map data to figure out exactly where you are. Founded by AI engineers and former U.S. special operations personnel, TERN serves automakers, delivery fleets, emergency services, and defense customers who cannot afford to lose their location when the signal drops.
Tailos (formerly Maidbot) is an Austin, Texas robotics company building AI-powered autonomous cleaning robots for commercial spaces. Its flagship product, Rosie, is a self-navigating commercial robot vacuum that uses self-driving-car technology - LiDAR, 3D depth cameras, and proprietary SLAM - to clean hotels, multifamily buildings, and senior-living facilities with no pre-mapping or setup. The company's pitch is plain: automate the most repetitive, physically punishing parts of cleaning so housekeepers can do higher-value work, with operators saving roughly 54 minutes per labor hour.