Marita Cheng

Marita Cheng is an award-winning technology entrepreneur, roboticist, and global advocate for women in STEM. Named the youngest Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 and recognized by Forbes as one of the World’s Top 50 Women in Tech, she is the founder and CEO of Aubot, where she develops telepresence robots like Teleport to help children with illness attend school, support people with disabilities in the workplace, and connect with elderly populations. Her company also advances research in robotic arms, virtual reality, and autonomous systems.

Cheng is also the founder of Robogals Global, an international initiative that has introduced over 100,000 girls across 11 countries to engineering through hands-on robotics workshops. Her commitment to accessibility and innovation extends to co-founding Aipoly, an app that uses AI to help visually impaired users recognize objects in real time, now available in more than 20 languages.

A sought-after global speaker, Cheng has presented at major forums including MIT Technology Review’s EmTech and the World Entrepreneurship Forum. She studied engineering and computer science at the University of Melbourne and has served on multiple advisory boards supporting innovation and social impact. Born in Cairns, Australia, she rose from humble beginnings to become a leading voice in technology, education, and inclusion.