Apera AI was named to Deloitte's 2026 Technology Fast 50(TM) awards program for the second consecutive year. Oct 28, 2026, 08:00 ET With revenue growth of 644% and more than 4,200 applications supported worldwide, Apera AI is driving the evolution of vision-guided robotics from custom projects to scalable products with its turnkey intelligent cell VuePod and the augmented reality app ForgeAR. VANCOUVER, BC, October 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Apera AI has been recognized by Deloitte's 2026 Technology Fast 50(TM) awards program for its rapid growth, entrepreneurial spirit and bold innovation. The image-guided robotics company was included in the list for the second consecutive year after placing 10th in 2025. Apera AI CEO Sina Afrooze attributes the company's impressive growth to its patented 4D Vision technology and its shift from custom integration projects to turnkey products such as VuePod. Afrooze said: "Being included in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the second consecutive year is thanks to our customers and partners who gave us the trust to introduce 4D Vision into their production halls. Thank you to all the manufacturers, integrators and partners who have grown with us. Your feedback has shaped VuePod, and your success drives everything we build." The program recognizes Canada's 50 fastest-growing technology companies based on the highest revenue growth over the last four years. Apera AI ranks 37th with 644% revenue growth between 2022 and 2025. "The winners of the 2026 Technology Fast 50 embody the ingenuity, resilience and ambition that continue to shape Canada's technology sector," said Brendan Cooper, co-lead of the national Technology Fast 50 program. "We are proud to celebrate their achievements and to recognize the significant impact they have in communities and markets across the country." Apera AI's 4D Vision now supports more than 4,200 applications worldwide, at six of the world's ten largest automakers, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and manufacturers in pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and data center equipment. Apera's growth is based on real, deployed solutions, not pilot projects. As a result, the company has developed a deep understanding of the difficult, unpredictable problems robots face in real production halls. Apera AI has also achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance according to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) standards for SOC for service organizations, also known as SSAE 18. The independent audit, conducted by Prescient Security, confirms that Apera's security and privacy measures work effectively over the long term - an increasingly important requirement as 4D Vision is used in the production environments of the world's largest manufacturers. This milestone underscores Apera's continued commitment to protecting customer data and meeting the standards that enterprise manufacturers expect from their automation partners. VuePod: vision-guided, turnkey intelligent bin picking cell VuePod was introduced in June at Automate 2026 and bundles the insights Apera has gained from thousands of applications in live operation into a complete, self-contained intelligent cell for bin picking, based on 4D Vision and developed in partnership with Ethos Automation. Each cell is validated in a simulation against the customer's part profile before shipping, reducing on-site setup to three steps (connect, calibrate and teach placement) without requiring robot programming or image processing expertise. This simplicity is the point: VuePod is the first step toward agent-based physical AI automation systems that are as easy to learn and install as a human. Because all VuePods have the same design, setup procedure and support model, vision resources and robot programs are inherited, and each additional station is brought online faster than the previous one. This repeatability shifts the focus of vision-guided robotics from one-off integrations to scalable deployments, turning automation from a single risky project into a program manufacturers can expand across lines and plants as they face persistent labor shortages, rising costs and shrinking margins. This also positions Apera well to win as physical AI, embodied AI and agent-based AI move from the lab to the factory, where success depends on solving difficult, real-world problems at scale. Manufacturers can explore VuePod on the new website going live today: https://apera.ai/vuepod/ ForgeAR: Experience VuePod in your apartment before it ships. Apera AI is also bringing its Forge platform to the factory floor with ForgeAR, an augmented reality app that places a complete, preconfigured VuePod (robot, gripper, cameras, bins and safety systems) exactly where it will be used. ForgeAR is another step toward bringing the digital world closer to the physical world and introducing new automation solutions simply and intuitively. Plant managers, automation engineers and integrators can walk around the cell, check clearances and make sure the robot can reach downstream equipment before the cell is built. The latest version offers more than 10 new VuePod configurations, including 3x3-foot bins for smaller spaces and a dual end-of-arm tool for long parts. ForgeAR can be downloaded for free from the App Store for iPhone Pro: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/forgear/id6781779296 "The development of vision-guided robots has so far been slowed by custom projects that take months to develop and are hard to repeat," added Afrooze. "VuePod uses agent-based physical AI to plan and correct each pick independently, so manufacturers can deploy a proven cell and then the next ten with the same results. That is how the ROI of automation scales, and how manufacturers can keep their production lines running despite labor shortages." To be included in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 ranking, companies must have been in existence for at least four years, generate minimum revenue of US$50,000 in 2022 and US$5 million in 2025, be headquartered in Canada, own proprietary technology, and invest at least 5% of gross revenue in research and development activities conducted in Canada. "This year's winners show what is possible when vision, talent and innovation come together. They take on complex challenges, open up new opportunities and drive growth across the Canadian technology ecosystem," said Amanda Perran, co-lead of the National Technology Fast 50 program. "Their success inspires the next generation of entrepreneurs and helps shape a more connected, competitive and innovative future for Canada." The winners of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 program are public and private companies from the technology sector that are transforming the industry. The program runs in parallel with the broader Deloitte North American Technology Fast 500(TM), and winners automatically qualify for this elite ranking. About the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 program The Technology Fast 50 program is Canada's leading technology awards program. It recognizes business growth, innovation and entrepreneurship in three different categories: Technology Fast 50, Enterprise - industry leaders and companies to watch. The program also recognizes successful technology companies in the U.S. and Canada in collaboration with the North American Technology Fast 500 program. Sponsors of the 2026 program include RBCx, NRF, TMX, EDC, CCI, Lafond and The Globe and Mail. For more information, visit www.fast50.ca. About Apera AI As a pioneer in 4D vision for robotic automation, Apera AI increases factory productivity by equipping robots with human-like vision and advanced artificial intelligence, dramatically increasing speed, accuracy and reliability. The patented 4D Vision technology unlocks factories' production capacity and enables automakers, Tier 1 suppliers and other industrial companies to achieve an unmatched level of productivity, quality and cost savings. Learn more at www.apera.ai.

Apera AI, a Vancouver-based vision-guided robotics company, has been named to Deloitte's 2026 Technology Fast 50 for the second year running. It ranks 37th, with 644% revenue growth from 2022 to 2025, after placing 10th in 2025. The program honours Canada's 50 fastest-growing technology companies. Chief executive officer Sina Afrooze credits the company's patented 4D Vision technology and its shift from custom projects to turnkey products. Apera's 4D Vision now supports more than 4,200 applications worldwide, including at six of the world's top 10 automotive OEMs. Its VuePod bin-picking smart cell, launched in June, is validated in simulation before shipping. Setup needs no robot programming. The ForgeAR app, free on the App Store, lets customers preview a VuePod on their factory floor.