Zebra Technologies has announced it will acquire the remaining 95% of Fetch Robotics, a pioneer in on-demand automation that provides the market’s only cloud-driven Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) solution.
Fetch Robotics’ AMRs address material handling and data collection for warehousing and intra-logistics environments, reducing costs and improving throughput, efficiency, and productivity. Fetch features the largest portfolio of AMRs in the industry and offers seamless integration with warehouse and manufacturing systems without the need for changes to facilities or infrastructure.
The acquisition will enable Zebra customers to increase the level of automation and digitisation in their warehouse environments, with the use of “automated workers” or autonomous mobile robots.
“The acquisition of Fetch Robotics will accelerate our Enterprise Asset Intelligence vision and growth in intelligent industrial automation by embracing new modes of empowering workflows and helping our customers operate more efficiently in increasingly automated, data-powered environments,” said Anders Gustafsson, Chief Executive Officer of Zebra Technologies.
“This move will also extend our ongoing commitment to optimise the supply chain from the point of production to the point of consumption. We are excited to welcome the Fetch team to the Zebra family.” The acquisition follows a steady increase in the use of warehouse robotics, as Amazon, Kroger and other companies have turned to automation to increase productivity.
The pandemic has boosted the use of robotics as a way to make up for productivity losses associated with social distancing and high staff turnover rates.