Press Archive

February 11, 2012 Top Toys and Games of the Year Unveiled at “OSCARS®” of the Toy Industry LeapPad Explorer from LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. Garners Coveted “Toy of the Year” Title
More than five hundred toy industry executives and guests from around the globe gathered in New York City tonight to honor their peers at the 12th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards and Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
February 10, 2012 INNOVATION FIRST LABS APPOINTS NEW VP OF SALES TO LEAD TOY DIVISION NATIONAL ACCOUNTS
Paul Warner to Head Up National Sales for Company’s Expanding Toy Division Including HEXBUG® Micro Robotic Creatures and Bobble BotsTM Brands
January 24, 2012 Innovation First Seizes Thousands of Copycat HEXBUG® Nano^TM Products in Defense of Intellectual Property Rights
UK Online Retailer Toysmart Agrees to the Immediate Destruction of Copycat Robotic Toys
January 10, 2012 HEXBUG® CREATOR PARTNERS WITH GLOBAL KIDS HIT MOSHI MONSTERS^TM TO LAUNCH ALL NEW BOBBLE BOTS^TM BRAND & PRODUCT LINE
Innovation First International inks deal with Mind Candy to bring Bobble Bots^TM Moshi Monsters to retail in Europe and North America this Spring
September 22, 2011 Innovation First International Appoints STEM Education Veteran Joe Astroth as Executive Vice President and Chief Education Strategist
Former Chief Education Officer of Autodesk Seeks to Expand Global Reach of co-curricular VEX Robotics Program in Classroom & Afterschool Competition
August 3, 2011 Innovation First Unleashes New HEXBUG® Robotic Species and Enhanced Nano Habitat Sets for the Holidays
Highly Anticipated HEXBUG Larva, HEXBUG Nano Habitat Sets and Collectible Limited Edition Nano Bugs Amass at Retailers Nationwide and HEXBUG.com
August 3, 2011 Innovation First Sues Clinton Cards & Only 4 U Limited for Intellectual Property Infringement of the HEXBUG® Nano™
Toy Company Makes Good on Promise to Vigorously Defend Products Against Knock-Offs Across Entire Supply Chain
February 13, 2011 Innovation First Winning Fight Against Knock-offs of HEXBUG® NanoTM Toy
Lawsuits and investigations lead to over 1,000 successful enforcement actions worldwide
December 10, 2010 Project Lead The Way Announces Innovative Partnership With VEX Robotics
PLTW to Offer Rigorous Hands-on, Project-Based Robotics Lessons for Middle School and High School Students — Classrooms may Begin Using VEX Robotics Equipment in 2011-2012; PLTW Students Gain Access to VEX Robotics Competitions Throughout the Country
October 5, 2010 MGA Sued for Copying Innovation First's HEXBUG® Nano Toy
Popular HEXBUG® Nano Toys Defend Across the Entire Supply Chain
June 30, 2010 BEST Robotics Competition Powers Up with the VEX Robotics Control System
Powerful new VEXnet control system enhances capabilities and fuels growth of robotics competition
May 11, 2010 Innovation First Sues Urban Trend for Infringing Intellectual Property on the HEXBUG® Nano™ Toy
Innovation First to Defend Popular HEXBUG® Nano™ Toys Vigorously Across the Entire Supply Chain
April 26, 2010 China and New Zealand High School Teams Reign Supreme at the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship
MythBusters’ Grant Imahara Inspires Students at Global Robotics Competition
April 20, 2010 Leading Young Innovators Aim to Measure Up at VEX Robotics Competition World Championship on April 22-24, 2010
Mythbusters Engineering Savant Grant Imahara Set to Emcee Final Day of International Robotics Competition
December 8, 2009 Innovation First of Greenville ready to re-create itself
Dallas Morning News showcases IFI and its three main areas of business: Racks, Toys, and Robotics.
November 19, 2009 The Technology Student Association (TSA) and Innovation First International Announce a Partnership to Introduce a Signature Robotics Competition Using the VEX Robotics Design System
Competition to Further Stimulate Middle School and High School Student Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)
October 20, 2009 HEXBUG Nano Swarms Toys"R"Us and RadioShack Stores Nationwide
IFI unveils the HEXBUG Nano – a tiny, 1.75 inch energetic micro robotic bug that uses the physics of vibration and robotic intelligence to skitter along and explore its environment on smooth surfaces.
May 4, 2009 Massachusetts & California High School Teams Dominate VEX Robotics Competition World Championship
International Competition Stimulates Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math through Competitive Robotics Challenges
May 2, 2009 View all results from the 2009 VEX Robotics World Championship
See match results, rankings, and award winners from the middle school & high school competition, skills challenges, and the college challenge.
April 2, 2009 VEX Robotics Teams ‘Battle of the Bots’ at the Inaugural Championship of the Americas in Omaha, Nebraska on April 2-4, 2009
Local Non-Profit CREATE Foundation Backs VEX and Hosts Competition that Will Qualify 20 Teams for the VEX Robotics World Championship
February 13, 2009 Antennaes Up! HEXBUG Ant Colony Invades Toy Fair 2009
Innovation First today introduced the HEXBUG Ant - a speedy six-legged micro robotic creature with razor-thin, long tactile antennas and hooked claws. The ultra-engaging HEXBUG assortment is on display this week at the Javits Convention Center at the New York International Toy Fair 2009.
December 9, 2008 SECOND ANNUAL VEX ROBOTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION TO BE HELD AT DALLAS CONVENTION CENTER AND ARENA
New Location for Growing VEX Robotics World Championship to Accommodate Middle School, High School and New College Challenge Pilot at the Educational Robotics Competition
December 2, 2008 VEX Robotics Announces Inaugural College Challenge Competition to be Introduced at the 2009 VEX Robotics World Championship
Announcement of the pilot season for the VRC College Challenge.
August 27, 2008 Innovation First, Inc. and Autodesk, Inc. Release New Robotics Curriculum to Inspire Technology Leaders of Tomorrow
Autodesk VEX Robotics Curriculum Promotes Hands-on Learning by Bringing Robotics and Digital Design Education into the Classroom
August 19, 2008 VEX Robotics Competition: Elevation
NEW GAME ELEVATION TAKES VEX ROBOTICS COMPETITION TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
May 27, 2008 Getting the bugs out of personal robots
Innovation First's toy bugs pack a mighty computing wallop of light sensors and infrared motion-control equipment.
May 12, 2008 Connecticut Expands Statewide Robotics Education Program
Because of their high impact on a wide variety of students of all ages, after-school robotics programs will be expanded statewide as part of a new State of Connecticut technology education initiative.
May 5, 2008 Chinese Teams Triumph At Inaugural VEX Robotics World Championship
Students From Around the World Compete in High-Octane International Robotics Tournament
April 17, 2008 INNOVATION FIRST, INC. AND CHARMED LABS COLLABORATE TO CREATE NEW VEX MICROCONTROLLER BASED ON QWERK TECHNOLOGY
New Qwerk Controller Technology Enhances VEX Robotics Platform for Universities and Robot Enthusiasts
April 10, 2008 INNOVATION FIRST, INC. AND AUTODESK, INC. CO-DEVELOP NEW CURRICULUM TO PROMOTE ROBOTICS AMONG STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS
VEX Robotics Inventor Curriculum to help Educators Interested in Bringing Robotics and Digital Design Education into the Classroom
April 3, 2008 VEXplorer Contest Challenges Robot Enthusiasts
Mythbuster Grant Imahara and Robot Select Top 25 VEXplorer Robot Ideas
February 18, 2008 INNOVATION FIRST, INC. DEBUTS NEW INNOVATIVE ROBOTICS LINE-UP AT TOY FAIR
February 7, 2008 INNOVATION FIRST, INC. ANNOUNCES NEW VEX ROBOTICS PRODUCTS FOR 2008
VEX RCR Mini and VEX 802.11 Wi-Fi Competition Control System Provide Users with Advanced Robotics Options for Popular VEX System
January 15, 2008 INNOVATION FIRST ANNOUNCES INTRODUCTION OF ROBOTC PROGRAMMING FOR VEX ROBOTICS
ROBOTC offers an easy programming language for use with VEX in the classroom and in robotics competitions
December 12, 2007 INAUGURAL VEX ROBOTICS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION ANNOUNCED
Students will compete with robots created from the VEX® Robotics Design System(tm)
November 21, 2007 Winners of Inaugural Asian Robotics League "BRIDGE BATTLE" Competition Announced.
More than 100 high school teams from across six countries in Asia, competed in the Asian Robotics League (ARL) "Bridge Battle" Championship.
November 8, 2007 Innovation First Brings Robotics to the Classroom
T.H.E. Journal writer Dave Nagel reports on new offerings for classroom robotics from Innovation First.
November 6, 2007 Students from across Oahu, Hawaii Compete in Vex "Bridge Battle" Robotics Tournament to Prepare for FIRST Regional Robotics Competition
Bridge Battle Game Gives Students an Affordable and Easy Way to Compete in Robotics and Learn about Science and Technology
November 5, 2007 Innovation First, Inc to debut Vex Robotics education web page at VexRobotics.com
Web Page Provides Key Resources to Educators Interested in Bringing Robotics Education into the Classroom
October 8, 2007 Innovation First, Inc. and Autodesk Launch Web Site to Promote Robotics Among Students and Educators
RobotEvents.com provides comprehensive online resource offering the latest robotics news, blogs, events and information for robotics enthusiasts.
September 13, 2007 Vex Bridge Battle Competition to Debut at Asian Robotics League Championship.
New Robotics Game Satisfies Need to Provide Challenging and Economical Platform for High School Students across Six Asian Countries ...
Robot Magazine Covers Vex announcement of partnership with Revell.
October 31, 2006 Revell and IFI Announce Vex Global Partnership (pdf)
Northbrook, Illinois- (Business Wire) - October 31, 2006 - Revell Monogram LLC and Innovation First, Inc. announced today a global partnership for the design, marketing and distribution of the new Vex Robotics System, a product platform based on the award-winning original design developed in 2005.
Vex wins design award! Nineteenth Annual EID Winners: Intriguing Innovations
April 17, 2006 Innovation First, Inc. Acquires Vex from RadioShack (pdf)
Innovation First, a leading provider of robotics products for the consumer and education markets, today announced its acquisition of the Vex® Robotics Design System brand name and trademark registrations from RadioShack Corporation.
IEEE Spectrum Reviews Vex Robotics Design System
A robot kit that's fun as well as functional.

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