Pickommerce secures $3.4M investment for robotic piece-picking technology

Pickommerce, an Israel-based warehouse automation provider, announced 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.

PickoBot deployed on Israel farm

Today’s logistics warehouses are increasingly automated, with processes like crate collection and package unloading now predominantly handled by robots. However, the final “Pick and Pack” step largely relies on human pickers, even in the most advanced warehouses. This presents a significant challenge, as there is a global shortage of tens of millions of workers in these roles. To fill this void, piece-picking robots are quickly becoming a critical component of the modern automated warehouse. They increase efficiency by picking and placing inventory for a wide range of items, reducing labor needs for repetitive tasks while improving performance and decreasing errors.

“We appreciate the commitment from our investors, customers and partners, and we are seeing significant market demand for Pickobot,” said 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."

PickoBot, according to the company, has delivered the missing link in achieving a fully autonomous warehouse workflow, providing a picking option for various industries such as apparel, retail, e-commerce, pharmaceutical, agricultural and spare parts.

“Pickommerce is disrupting the logistics industry by delivering advanced solutions that streamline automation operations, significantly enhancing their overall efficiency,” said Yoni Heilbronn, managing partner at IL Ventures. “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.”

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. 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's patent-protected technologies significantly increase the variety of products that can be handled by robots in logistics, as well as the level of autonomy those robots possess.

Pickommerce’s 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. Unlike competitors, according to Pickommerce, PickoBot is proficient at adapting to and handling the complexities of picking and packing fresh produce at a rapid pace. This capability is valuable for any supermarket that accepts online orders.

"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."

Want to learn more about robots picking, packing and packaging? This article was featured in the October 2024 Robotics 24/7 Special Focus Issue titled “Robots picking and packing with precision.”