Locus Robotics acquires Waypoint Robotics

Locus Robotics, a leading provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for fulfillment warehouses, today announced that it has acquired Waypoint Robotics, a leading provider of autonomous, omnidirectional mobile robots which can move and handle larger payloads.

“Locus is the proven leader in the development of highly productive and innovative AMR technology that efficiently solves our customers’ needs for total warehouse optimization,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “As order fulfillment and labor shortages continue to grow around the world, the acquisition of Waypoint Robotics will accelerate our ability to meet these global needs in just months rather than years, helping us drive the digital transformation of the warehouse.”

The acquisition broadens the Locus product line of AMR solutions that address use cases from ecommerce, case-picking, and pallet-picking to scenarios requiring larger, heavier payloads and fulfillment modalities.

“Waypoint shares Locus’s commitment to technology excellence in pursuit of customer success,” said Jason Walker, CEO of Waypoint Robotics. “We’re excited to contribute to the expansion of the Locus product family in order to deliver a broader range of solutions, as well as access to new market segments.”

Waypoint’s Vector and MAV3K are industrial-strength mobile robot platforms that feature omnidirectional mobility, and can be fitted with a wide variety of modules and attachments, making them versatile for many applications. An omni-directional mobile robot is one that can quickly adjust its movement in any direction, which saves time in maneuvering and positioning.

In an interview with Modern, Walker noted that Waypoint’s products, people, and facilities will continue as part of Locus Robotics. He added that having one vendor with both smaller robots for small item picking and robots that can move larger loads, is a natural fit. The Waypoint robots, he noted, can support applications such as replenishment, receiving processes, or picking cases to pallets. “We really think this is going to be about the word ‘and,’” said Walker. “We want to bring all of the things Locus Robotics has created and make it available to Waypoint’s customers and vice versa.”

In comments to Modern, Faulk agreed the acquisition extends the use cases and applications the company can now offer across a wider range of industries. “Ultimately, all of our customers will benefit from this expanded product line, as we will have a broader family of offerings and more resources to deliver our services,” he said. “All of our customers will soon have an even broader array of products and services available to them and we will be able to deliver new features and applications at an accelerated rate in the future.”

DHL, the world’s largest logistics company with over 1,400 warehouses and offices in more than 55 countries and territories, had recently signed a 2,000 bot deal with Locus as part of its efforts to digitalize its supply chain processes. A top leader with DHL sees promising opportunities coming from the acquisition.

“DHL Supply Chain and Locus Robotics have established a productive partnership based on a highly successful integration of the Locus autonomous mobile robot solution into our customers’ operations, and we value the emphasis they have placed on listening to our needs,” said Sally Miller, CIO, DHL Supply Chain North America. “This acquisition, which adds a larger, heavier-weight autonomous robot capability to their portfolio, is a good reflection of how they continue to address the customer requirements at the heart of their strategy. I believe it will open up promising new opportunities in our partnership, support DHL’s ongoing efforts to deploy technologies that improve our customers’ supply chains, and contribute to the continued advancement of a competitive robotics market.”

“Warehouses and fulfillment centers benefit by harnessing the strengths of humans and robots working in collaboration. These co-botic environments are further optimized when a range of differently ‘skilled’ AMRs are employed. With the acquisition of Waypoint Robotics, Locus Robotics is able to bring more capability to the fulfillment floor,” said Jordan K. Speer, Research Manager, Global Supply Chains, IDC Retail Insights. “Furthermore, introducing combinations of differently ‘skilled’ AMRs that are interoperable with each other enables new functional capabilities where robots hand off product to each other. Without intelligent automation that can handle a wide variety of tasks on the fulfillment floor — including returns, putaway, and sortation – organizations will not be able to thrive in today’s market.”

Cowen and Company LLC served as exclusive financial advisor to Waypoint Robotics. A purchase price for the deal is not being disclosed.