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We lined 25 acquisitions in 2023, which was down considerably from the 50 we lined in 2022. Under are eight robotics acquisitions, in chronological order, that stood out to us in 2023. Right here’s a glance again on the notable acquisitions of 2022 and 2021.

Be aware that there’s one main acquisition nonetheless pending from 2022. Amazon introduced in August 2022 its intent to amass iRobot for $1.7 billion. The deal was rapidly placed on maintain in September 2022, when the U.S. Federal Commerce Fee formally began an antitrust investigation. In late November 2023, the European Fee shared an replace on its investigation into the deal. Its preliminary view is the acquisition could prohibit competitors available in the market for robotic vacuum cleaners. The European Fee’s considerations with the merger focus on Amazon’s capacity to throttle iRobots’ competitors in its on-line market. A remaining choice on the deal is anticipated by Feb. 14.

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John Deere acquires SparkAI

Date Introduced: March 6
Quantity: Undisclosed

John Deere acquired SparkAI, a New York-based startup that develops human-in-the-loop expertise to assist robots resolve edge instances in actual time. John Deere, which has developed autonomous tractors, was a SparkAI buyer for a couple of years earlier than the acquisition. The monetary phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed.

SparkAI’s position within the workflow is to not take over management and remotely pilot the autonomous tractor. SparkAI offers contextual cues that the autonomous tractor is usually lacking to make assured selections.

“Spark goes to expedite all the things we do. We’re going to have the ability to ship merchandise sooner and at increased high quality with much less work,” stated Willy Pell, VP of autonomy and new ventures at Blue River Know-how, an organization John Deere acquired in 2017. “After we automate away the chunks of human intervention, we’ll accomplish that with nice datasets that characterize the issue throughout many conditions and environments. And all of the whereas we will likely be delivering worth to the shoppers and studying extra about our expertise and the surroundings. After which we’ll apply that cognition to the subsequent space of progress.”

Berkshire Gray joins Softbank

Date Introduced: March 27
Quantity: $375 million

Softbank has made a number of robotics investments through the years that didn’t pan out. In 2023, nonetheless, it made a minimum of two warehouse automation-related acquisitions that look like safer bets. The primary deal got here in March when it acquired Berkshire Gray for $375 million in money. Berkshire Gray produces quite a lot of robots that handle use instances in retail, eCommerce, grocery, 3PL, and bundle dealing with firms. Berkshire Gray had struggled financially after going public through a SPAC in 2021.

Earlier than the acquisition, the 2 firms have been accustomed to each other. In January 2020, Softbank participated in Berkshire Gray’s $263 million Sequence B financing spherical.

Particulars on the second vital acquisition for Softbank may be discovered additional down on this story.

Shopify offloads 6 River Techniques to Ocado

Date Introduced: Could 4
Quantity: $12.7M

Information of UK grocer Ocado buying 6 River Techniques broke on the morning of Could 4. This got here as a shock to most within the business. However stunning particulars of the acquisition have been made public in Ocado’s mid-year report.

Ocado revealed it paid Shopify a measly $12.7 million for six River Techniques, which makes autonomous cellular robots (AMRs) for logistics purposes. For context, Shopify paid $450 million to amass 6 River Techniques in September 2019. Ocado paid roughly 2.8% of what Shopify paid for six River.

6 River Techniques’ Chuck autonomous cellular robots. | Supply: 6 River Techniques

Struggling a $437.3 million loss can’t be good, even if you happen to’re attempting to dump a enterprise that’s not a part of future plans. In its mid-year report, Ocado stated the 6 River enterprise “has a very good consumer record, is debt-free, money stream constructive, and generates constructive EBITDA.” Shopify offloaded 6 River as a part of a shift in technique.

The 6 River acquisition provides a brand new sort of robotic to Ocado’s portfolio – AMRs. Ocado has developed its personal ASRS for years for its on-line grocery enterprise. Ocado just lately received a lawsuit in opposition to fellow ASRS developer AutoStore, during which AutoStore should pay Ocado a $256 million settlement over two years.

Softbank acquires Balyo

Date Introduced: June 16
Quantity: $13M

Softbank acquired a controlling stake in Balyo for about $13 million. Primarily based in France, Balyo has almost 20 years of robotics expertise. Balyo now has entry to SoftBank’s world community of over 470 technology-led firms, permitting it to develop new industrial relationships.

Extra importantly, Balyo’s portfolio of robotic forklift applied sciences strengthens SoftBank’s present investments in logistics automation. Along with the aforementioned acquisition of Berkshire Gray, Softbank in April 2021 purchased a 40% stake in ASRS maker AutoStore for $2.8 billion. AutoStore generated $149.2 million in income throughout the first quarter of 2023. That represented 21.1% progress year-over-year.

Softbank’s logistics robotics portfolio contains AutoStore, Balyo, and Berkshire Gray. Not a foul begin.

Rockwell Automation buys AMR developer Clearpath Robotics

Date Introduced: September 6
Quantity: $600M

Rockwell Automation shopping for Clearpath Robotics, and its OTTO Motors division, for greater than $600 million is arguably probably the most vital acquisition of 2023. The sticker worth is definitely memorable, however that is additionally noteworthy due to how vital Rockwell Automation is within the industrial automation house. This deal is a significant endorsement of AMRs.

Ontario, Canada-based Clearpath develops AMRs for analysis and improvement functions. OTTO Motors, a division of Clearpath, develops AMRs for manufacturing and logistics purposes. When saying the deal, Rockwell Automation stated AMRs “are the subsequent frontier in industrial automation and transformation, and this acquisition will supercharge Rockwell’s lead in bringing the linked enterprise to life.”

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“The mix of autonomous robots and PLC-based line management has lengthy been a dream of plant managers in industries as various as automotive and shopper packaged items,” stated Blake Moret, chairman and CEO, Rockwell Automation. “With Clearpath, Rockwell is uniquely positioned to make that dream a actuality throughout nearly all discrete and hybrid verticals, optimizing planning, operations, and the workforce.”

Agile Robots acquires Franka Emika

Date Introduced: November 13
Quantity: $32M

Agile Robots swooped in and saved Franka Emika from insolvency in November. Agile stated it can take over Franka Emika’s operations, retaining its roughly 100-person workers with plans to develop the corporate. Two months earlier than this deal, Franka Emika cited “irreconcilable shareholder variations” as the explanation it filed for insolvency.

Each firms are primarily based in Germany and develop collaborative robotic arms for analysis and schooling and industrial makes use of. Agile Robots was based on the German Aerospace Heart (DLR) in 2018.

“This transaction permits us to speed up the implementation of our worldwide progress technique,” Rory Sexton, vice chairman of operations at Agile Robots, stated. “The mix of sturdy AI and software program experience with main robotics expertise strengthens our innovation energy and our capacity to develop demand-driven and market-ready merchandise. That is good for our location, for the groups, and for the shoppers of each firms.”

LIG Nex1 acquires quadruped maker Ghost Robotics

Date Introduced: December 8
Quantity: $240M

LIG Nex1, a South Korean aerospace producer and protection firm, is buying a controlling stake in Ghost Robotics for $240 million. Philadelphia-based Ghost Robotics develops quadrupeds for the U.S. navy and its allies, in addition to industrial clients.

Regardless of moral debates, robots in navy and homeland safety purposes promise to enhance effectivity and save lives. In March 2022, the U.S. Division of Protection specified coverage, assigned duties and offered procedures for automated weapons platforms.

A few 12 months in the past, Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics filed a patent-infringement lawsuit in opposition to Ghost Robotics, which replied on the time that its techniques are primarily based on unique analysis. That case remains to be pending.

Robotic lawnmower maker Electrical Sheep Robotics buys landscaping firms

Quantity: Undisclosed

Electrical Sheep Robotics made maybe probably the most fascinating acquisitions of 2023. San Francisco-based Electrical Sheep Robotics launched in 2019 as a developer of robotic lawnmowers for industrial landscapers. In 2023, it acquired 4 industrial landscaping companies – Caliscapes, Full Landscaping, Phenix Panorama and Westar Landscaping. Monetary phrases of the offers weren’t disclosed.

That is a part of a long-term technique for Electrical Sheep. It needs to amass worthwhile landscaping companies and improve their profitability and effectivity by including robotic lawnmowers into their present workflows.

“The ESR [Electric Sheep Robotics] enterprise mannequin of buying landscaping companies and bettering their margins by augmenting staff with automation is radically modern, and a sustainable, quickly scalable solution to construct moonshot robotics,” stated Pieter Abbeel, professor in AI and Robotics at UC Berkeley, co-founder and chief scientist at Covariant, and long-time scientific advisor to Electrical Sheep. “As this mannequin scales, ESR is poised to construct an RL manufacturing facility to coach AI brokers for sustainable outside work. I’m excited to help their mission.”

“Our intent is to roll this as much as lots of of hundreds of thousands, to nearly a billion {dollars}, in income and deploy on the scale of tens of 1000’s of robots as a result of we imagine that the subsequent shift in robotics should occur with this progressive automation and reinforcement studying achieved as much as that scale,” Murty advised The Robotic Report in October.