Zebra Technologies to Acquire Photoneo from Photoneo Brightpick Group

Leading 3D vision and AI robotics company attracts major U.S. buyer.

Sale proceeds to accelerate Brightpick’s global expansion and innovation.

Photoneo Brightpick Group to be renamed Brightpick and remain independent.

Erlanger, KY, USA — December 30, 2024 — Photoneo Brightpick Group, a leader in 3D vision and AI robotics, has entered into a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Photoneo by Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge.

Photoneo is a leading provider of robotic vision sensors and intelligence software. Powered by its patented parallel structured light technology, Photoneo delivers faster, more accurate, and higher-resolution solutions through a seamless combination of hardware and software. Its advanced sensors are certified to integrate effortlessly with many of the world’s top robotic manufacturers, particularly in robot-arm applications.

“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.”

“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.”

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,” said Jan Zizka. “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 is a leading provider of warehouse automation solutions for order fulfillment. The Brightpick solution takes just weeks to deploy and enables companies to reduce their 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. 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.

The transaction, terms of which were not disclosed, is subject to customary closing conditions and expected to close in the first quarter of 2025. Dentons is acting as legal counsel and Evercore Partners International is acting as financial advisor to Photoneo. A&O Shearman LLP is serving as legal counsel to Zebra.

About Brightpick

Brightpick offers AI robots for warehouses to easily automate every step of their order fulfillment. The innovative robots enable warehouses of any size to fully automate order picking, consolidation, dispatch and stock replenishment. The award-winning Brightpick solution takes just weeks to deploy and enables companies to reduce their fulfillment labor to a minimum. Headquartered near Cincinnati, OH, Brightpick has more than 200 employees and is part of Photoneo Brightpick Group, which has over 8000 technology installations across the US, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.brightpick.ai.

About Zebra Technologies

Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA) helps organizations monitor, anticipate, and accelerate workflows by empowering their frontline and ensuring that everyone and everything is visible, connected and fully optimized. Our award-winning portfolio spans software to innovations in robotics, machine vision, automation and digital decisioning, all backed by a +50-year legacy in scanning, track-and-trace and mobile computing solutions. With an ecosystem of 10,000 partners across more than 100 countries, Zebra’s customers include over 80% of the Fortune 500.

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For media inquiries, contact:
Andrey Bakholdin
Chief Growth Officer
Email: bakholdin@brightpick.ai
Mobile: +421 948 767 090