Zebra Technologies to Acquire Fetch Technologies

Zebra Technologies announced it intends to acquire Fetch Robotics, a pioneer in on-demand automation. Fetch’s Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are used for optimized picking in fulfillment centers and distribution centers, just-in-time material delivery in manufacturing facilities and automating manual material movement in any facility.

Fetch features the largest portfolio of AMRs in the industry and offers seamless integra-tion with warehouse and manufacturing systems without the need for changes to facilities or infrastructure. Fetch Robotics’ AMRs help reduce the impact of labor shortages by im-proving throughput, efficiency and productivity while working alongside people in fulfill-ment, distribution and manufacturing environments.

“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, CEO of Zebra Technologies. “This move will also extend our ongoing commitment to optimize the supply chain from the point of production to the point of consumption.”

“The Fetch team is excited to join Zebra and accelerate the adoption of flexible automation through AMRs and our cloud-based robotics platform,” said Melonee Wise, CEO of Fetch Robotics. “By helping customers dynamically optimize and holistically orchestrate their ful-fillment, distribution, and manufacturing operations, together we help enable their ability to stay ahead of growing demand, minimize delivery times and address shrinking labor pools.”

Fetch has made strong progress as a Zebra Ventures portfolio company. In its early-rapid growth phase, this high gross-margin profile business is generating annualized run-rate sales of approximately $10 million. Zebra’s go-to-market footprint and vertical market ex-pertise is expected to drive synergies as we integrate and invest in the business.

“Our goal is to give robots and people the opportunity to do their very best work,” said Bill Burns, chief product and solutions officer, Zebra Technologies. “This acquisition is a con-tinuation of what we expect to be a series of innovations that reflect our commitment to creating solutions that help our customers improve their operations through robotics.”

Zebra expects to fund the $290 million purchase price – for the 95% of the business it does not already own – with cash on hand. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval, and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021.