Pickommerce secures $3.4 million investment to advance its robotic piece-picking technology

Pickommerce, a warehouse automation startup, announced today it has secured $3.4 million in funding to advance the development, production and marketing of its PickoBot piece-picking robot.

The funding round was led by IL Ventures, a fund focused on disruptive technologies for legacy industries, and includes InNegev, Fusion VC, the Israel Innovation Authority and strategic investor ZIM Ventures, the corporate venture arm of maritime shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd.

Pickommerce explained its solution addresses the final “Pick and Pack” step that largely still relies on human pickers, even in the most advanced warehouses. PickoBot utilizes an advanced computer vision system powered by machine learning that enables the safe and intelligent packaging of objects of different sizes, weights and textures, the company noted. It features multiple gripping methods in a single station, including vacuum, finger-based, and patented adhesive-based grippers. An AI-driven decision-making algorithm selects the optimal gripper and grasp configuration for each item. Pickommerce added that its patent-protected technologies significantly increase the variety of products that can be handled by robots in logistics, for various industries including apparel, retail (consumer goods, food, DIY, electrical, etc.), e-commerce, pharmaceutical, agricultural and spare parts.

IL Ventures’ Managing Partner Yoni Heilbronn commented, “Pickommerce is disrupting the logistics industry by delivering advanced solutions that streamline automation operations, significantly enhancing their overall efficiency. In an industry where manual picking still overwhelmingly dominates the process, this solution is poised to redefine standards and drive a new era that's more agile, responsive, and cost-effective. Booming demand for Pickommerce’s technology shows that the company’s solutions cater to an urgent and essential market need.”

Pickommerce added that a recent installation at Havivian Farm, one of the largest organic farms in Israel, showcases the adaptability and precision—or in this case, gentle touch—of Pickommerce's intelligent gripping technology. This organic farming enterprise turned to Pickommerce to reduce operational costs by automating their high-volume fresh produce packing line.

"At Havivian Farms, quality is at the core of everything we do. From planting seeds in the soil to harvesting our crops, we are committed to ensuring our customers receive the freshest, highest-quality goods,” said Boaz Havivian, Owner of Havivian Farms. “Pickommerce has been integral to this process. Their PicoBot enables us to efficiently handle and pack our produce for shipment, ensuring it reaches customers in perfect condition."

“We appreciate the commitment from our investors, customers and partners, and we are seeing significant market demand for PickoBot,” remarked Kfir Nissim, Co-Founder and CEO of Pickommerce. "We are pushing the boundaries of the industry by offering unmatched flexibility with the PickoBot's diverse gripping abilities. This is achieved through the seamless integration of advanced computer vision, a highly optimized packing algorithm, and AI-powered decision-making."