Zebra Technologies acquires Photoneo from Photoneo Brightpick Group

Zebra secures Photoneo 3D robotic vision sensors, intelligence software

By Robotics 24/7 Staff December 30, 2024

Brightpick

Photoneo Brightpick Group founders (L-R), Tomas Kovacovsky (CTO), Michal Maly (Director of AI), Jan Zizka (CEO) and Branislav Pulis (CRO) pose with an offering. Zebra Technologies acquired Photoneo in December 2024.

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Photoneo Brightpick Group, a provider of 3D vision and AI robotics, has entered into a definitive agreement for Zebra Technologies to acquire Photoneo.

The acquisition, terms of which were not disclosed, is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2025.

Robotic vision sensors, intelligence software headed to Zebra

Photoneo is a provider of robotic vision sensors and intelligence software. Powered by its patented parallel structured light technology, Photoneo said it delivers faster, more accurate and higher-resolution offering through its seamless combination of hardware and software.

“The combination of Photoneo’s 3D machine vision solutions with Zebra’s advanced sensors, vendor-agnostic software and AI-based image processing will provide a unique portfolio of offerings to our customers globally,” said Joe White, chief product & solutions officer, Zebra Technologies. “Together, we will help our customers across automotive manufacturing, logistics and other key markets maximize the potential of machine vision within their frontline operations.”

Photoneo said its advanced sensors are certified to integrate effortlessly with many of the world’s top robotic manufacturers, particularly in robot arm applications.

“Zebra is the perfect partner to support Photoneo in its next chapter as a company,” said Jan Zizka, co-founder and CEO of Photoneo Brightpick Group. “By combining Photoneo’s industry-leading 3D vision technology with Zebra’s global reach and broad portfolio of robotics and machine vision solutions, Photoneo is well-positioned to accelerate its growth and expansion.”

Acquisition proceeds to be reinvested into Brightpick

Following the acquisition, the Photoneo Brightpick Group will be renamed Brightpick and continue operating as a separate entity focused on developing and deploying AI robots to automate warehouse operations. The majority of the proceeds from the sale will be dedicated to accelerating Brightpick’s deployment of its AI robots across the U.S. and Europe. To date, Brightpick has secured a total of $47 million in funding.

“This transaction provides significant capital to reinvest in Brightpick and provide some return to shareholders,” Zizka said. “With Brightpick’s ARR growing 8x in 2024 and our 2025 production capacity nearly fully booked, this funding will enable us to scale manufacturing and deployment to meet soaring demand for our AI robots and serve even more customers.”

Brightpick provides warehouse automation for order fulfillment. The Brightpick platform takes just weeks to deploy and enables companies to reduce fulfillment labor to a minimum.

Brightpick Autopicker, the company’s award-winning flagship robot, is the only mobile robot in the world that robotically picks and consolidates orders directly in warehouse aisles, like a human with a cart, according to the company. The robot is powered by advanced AI, which enables it to operate seamlessly in any warehouse environment and autonomously fulfill orders across a wide range of product categories.

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Zebra Technologies acquires Photoneo from Photoneo Brightpick Group