AI for Good

The AI for Good Innovation Factory is a global startup pitching competition that invites entrepreneurs leveraging AI to tackle the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On 4 February, four outstanding robotics startups participated in the first edition of the AI for Good Innovation Factory in 2025.

Organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the event featured a jury of five experts in AI and startups. After an exciting pitch session, Glidance Inc, the cutting-edge assistive technology startup, won the competition with Glide, the world’s first autonomous guidance robot.

Today, an estimated 2.5 billion people rely on assistive products, a number projected to rise to 3.5 billion by 2050 (WHO). Glide uses AI and robotics to enhance mobility, offering an intuitive alternative to traditional mobility aids, helping to break down barriers and improve accessibility for the blind and low-vision community.

Glidance has secured a spot in the Innovation Factory Grand Finale at the AI for Good Global Summit 2025, where they will have the opportunity to showcase their solution on a global stage.

In an exclusive interview, Amos Miller, Founder and CEO of Glidance, shares insights into the startup’s approach to assistive technology and their mission to make freedom of mobility a right for individuals with vision loss.

Can you tell us about your winning solution?

Glide is the first of its kind autonomous intelligent guide for people who are blind. As a blind individual I have experienced the challenges of independent travel for most of my life, when walking my daughter to school, on my commute to work, and when travelling the world with my family. I also saw that the great majority of the 338 million blind people worldwide actually lose their sight later in life and also struggle to get around.

“A white cane or guide dog are incredible aids, but most people don’t get the benefit of these tools to enjoy independent mobility due to long training times, cost, and scarcity of specialist resources,” explained Amos Miller.

I am a computer scientist and a tech entrepreneur, and to address this issue I wanted to harness the power and the promise of AI and robotics to offer a new kind of mobility aid that was quick to learn, easy to use and affordable.

Glide is a light and versatile autonomous mobility aid. It has two wheels and a long handle, the user holds the handle and just walks, and Glide leads the way. Quick to learn, easy to use, and affordable.

Where are you from and what regions do you work in?

Glidance is based in Seattle Washington, and but we are a truly multinational and multi-cultural team with team members all the way from Slovenia, Germany, Turky, France, the East coast and West coast of the US, Mexico and Canada.

How can your solution help to solve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals?

The great majority of the 338 million blind people worldwide are unable to get out of their homes independently. This situation is leading to staggering levels of unemployment, social isolation and depression, and amplifies the toll on family and care givers.

Glidance’s work on a new mobility aid will empower many more blind people to get out of their homes independently faster and with lower reliance on scares specialist resources, and in doing so, it will enable them to regain their independence and continue to be fully contributing members of society.

What is your biggest challenge as an AI startup? Why did you join the Innovation Factory Pitching Competition?

Glidance is solving a problem that touches 1 in 8 people on the planet with a scalable AI business that stands to deliver impact at scale to hundreds of millions of people and provide extraordinary return on capital to investors. The market is ready for Glide, people are lining out the door for the product.

“Only a handful of investors in early-stage startups are able to appreciate the immense power and scale of this opportunity in the coming 30 years, and the partnership with the Innovation Factory helps to put a spotlight on such opportunities; opportunities that advance the technology landscape and address everyday human needs,” explained Amos Miller.

Glide is currently in Alpha Testing within Glidance’s community, representing at least 2.2 billion blind or vison-impaired people globally (WHO).

Glide is currently in Alpha Testing within Glidance’s community, representing at least 2.2 billion blind or vison-impaired people globally (WHO).

Glidance now counts as one of the many innovative robotics startups in the AI for Good Innovation Factory roster. As the AI for Good Global Summit 2025 approaches, the finalist startups will come together in Geneva to present their solution for the SDGs, engaging with fellow competitors and a global audience.

Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/meet-glidance-us-startup-reinventing-assistive-avnme/?trackingId=PZ0DqBKR%2FyLEPdgodquQdQ%3D%3D