By
Eugene Demaitre
May 3, 2021
Microsoft
Microsoft's acquisition of Nuance Communications was one of the biggest robotics and AI transactions of April 2021.
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Microsoft
Microsoft's acquisition of Nuance Communications was one of the biggest robotics and AI transactions of April 2021.
Investment activity in robotics and related technologies continued to be strong in April 2021, with more than $37.5 billion in recorded transactions. Even setting aside the two largest deals, which focused on artificial intelligence for voice interaction and autonomous vehicles, $7 billion is still significant.
Robotics 24/7 tracked more than 70 transactions last month, a slightly higher number than the average for the first quarter of 2021. Companies developing self-driving cars and trucks raised more than $12 billion in April.
Industrial automation vendors, which supply manufacturing and supply chain operations, were involved in close to $3 billion in transactions last month. Last year, such companies raised a total of $1.9 billion in funding out of a total of $6.3 billion in robotics venture capital, according to Forbes.
Businesses providing healthcare systems for applications including robot-assisted surgery, drug manufacturing, and therapy raised more than $700 million in April 2021. There were at least 15 reported mergers and acquisitions last month, continuing the trend of robotics companies working with special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC).
While many companies did not disclose the amounts of their transactions, the following deals reflect the ongoing interest in increasing automation across vertical market segments.
Eugene Demaitre was editorial director of Robotics 24/7. Prior to joining Peerless Media, he was a senior editor at Robotics Business Review and The Robot Report. Demaitre has also worked for BNA (now part of Bloomberg), Computerworld, and TechTarget. He has participated in numerous robotics-related webinars, podcasts, and events worldwide.
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