Matt Chang champions economic patriotism with U.S. manufacturing focus 

Matt Chang champions economic patriotism with U.S. manufacturing focus  (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — Building on a year highlighted by growth and new technology, Chang Robotics is leaning into U.S. manufacturing innovation the rest of 2025.

The Matt Chang-led company released an assessment of its first quarter and strategic vision for the future this week, a plan where nearshoring and North American manufacturing is a key focus.

Since its founding in 2017, Chang Robotics has operated “very counter-culture,” Chang told the Business Journal.

With a new administration in the White House championing made-in-America products, Chang said it validates his company’s path the last four years and is one it will continue to be “bullish” about.

“I’m optimistic. I’m encouraged for the future, because we’re focusing on American-made and American manufacturing in the country,” he said. “The things that we’re doing, the services and the products that we provide are in perfect alignment with the direction where the country is today.”

As the U.S. economy evolves and global supply chain challenges intensify, Chang Robotics has reaffirmed its commitment to a strategy aligned with national policy alongside its core engineering and automation business.

Product investments

One of the company’s most impactful projects this year is helping a major consumer products brand bring their “Factory of the Future” vision to life. The company was unspecified in a release.

Chang Robotics is leading the design and build of key automation systems — including autonomous mobile robots, end‑of‑line collaborative robots and packaging automation — to streamline how products are made and moved through the facility.

In the health care sector, Chang Robotics is also scaling its spinoff company called Curabotics, which launched last month.

Co-founded by Kate McAfoose and Chang — the president and founder of Chang Robotics, respectively — it intends to use autonomous mobile robots to optimize hospital logistics. It aims to do so by handling tasks like point-to-point transport, hazardous waste disposal, meal and nutrition delivery and linen retrieval, among others.

Chang Robotics is also rolling out green technology to replace plastic packaging. Built in collaboration with Northwestern University’s INVO Lab, GOEco is aimed at eliminating forever chemicals from food packaging.

Elsewhere, the company is contributing to the advancement of industrial battery-electric vehicles with Kodiak Technologies. Also founded by Chang, the company builds on Kodiak America, which has been a leader in snow removal solutions since 1988, according to its website.

The company is providing engineering and product management support for an industrial battery-electric snow removal vehicle, with plans to make its physical debut this year.

Venture investment

In January, the Jacksonville technology leader launched the Chang Robotics Fund — a $50 million venture fund focused on seed-stage investments in disruptive, high-impact technologies.

The fund is aimed at three investment categories: companies addressing workforce improvement and empowerment, solving energy challenges, and those with disruptive technology to enhance the environment.

At launch, it had already invested in six companies. Today, it has selected 15 portfolio companies.

“2025 will prove to be our most dynamic year yet, particularly amid the dramatic shifts in today’s political and economic climate,” Chang said in a release. “With the team we’ve built and the systems we now have in place, we’re positioned to lead the next era of American manufacturing and breakthrough innovation.”

Beyond portfolio growth, Chang Robotics also physically grew during quarter one of 2025, debuting its fourth location in Jacksonville Beach, bringing its national footprint to four spots, including Jacksonville, Chicago and Denver.