Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Locus Robotics lands $117 million venture backing in “series F” round

Investment will accelerate rollout of fulfillment robots beyond current installation at some 230 sites, Massachusetts firm says.

locus featured-web-locus-DHL-768x499.jpeg

Warehouse automation provider Locus Robotics has landed a hefty $117 million in backing to accelerate the rollout of its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for warehouse fulfillment and distribution applications, the company said today. 

The funding comes as Locus already counts more than 90 customers worldwide, and its robots are installed at more than 230 sites, including some with as many as 500 LocusBots in a single facility.


"As the rapid digital transformation of the supply chain continues, warehouses increasingly seek flexible, intelligent robotics automation to improve productivity and grow their operations, despite ongoing labor shortages and exploding order volumes," Locus CEO Rick Faulk said in a release.

The “series F” round was led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and G2 Venture Partners. As part of that financing, Mark Midle, managing director at Goldman Sachs, and Zach Barasz, partner at G2 Venture Partners, will join Locus’ board of directors.

Also participating in the round were Stack Capital Group, Next47, Stafford Capital Partners, HESTA, Newton Investment Management North America, Gray's Creek Capital, Silicon Valley Bank, Hercules Capital, Inc., BOND, and Scale Venture Partners. The latest funding follows a $50 million round in 2021, and brings Wilmington, Massachusetts-based Locus’ corporate valuation close to $2 billion.


 

 

The Latest

More Stories

David Scheffrahn of Ocado Intelligent Automation

InPerson interview: David Scheffrahn of Ocado Intelligent Automation

David Scheffrahn is the North American vice president of sales at Ocado Intelligent Automation, a part of the technology specialist Ocado Group. Although he began his career focusing on robotic solutions for semiconductor, electronics, and automotive manufacturers, Scheffrahn eventually moved on to the logistics sector, where he worked at Rethink Robotics, Seegrid, Plus One Robotics, and Dexterity before joining Ocado in 2023. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Texas.

Q: How would you describe the current state of the automation industry?

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

From pingpong diplomacy to supply chain diplomacy?

There’s a photo from 1971 that John Kent, professor of supply chain management at the University of Arkansas, likes to show. It’s of a shaggy-haired 18-year-old named Glenn Cowan grinning at three-time world table tennis champion Zhuang Zedong, while holding a silk tapestry Zhuang had just given him. Cowan was a member of the U.S. table tennis team who participated in the 1971 World Table Tennis Championships in Nagoya, Japan. Story has it that one morning, he overslept and missed his bus to the tournament and had to hitch a ride with the Chinese national team and met and connected with Zhuang.

Cowan and Zhuang’s interaction led to an invitation for the U.S. team to visit China. At the time, the two countries were just beginning to emerge from a 20-year period of decidedly frosty relations, strict travel bans, and trade restrictions. The highly publicized trip signaled a willingness on both sides to renew relations and launched the term “pingpong diplomacy.”

Keep ReadingShow less
forklift driving through warehouse

Hyster-Yale to expand domestic manufacturing

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling today announced its plans to fulfill the domestic manufacturing requirements of the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act for certain portions of its lineup of forklift trucks and container handling equipment.

That means the Greenville, North Carolina-based company now plans to expand its existing American manufacturing with a targeted set of high-capacity models, including electric options, that align with the needs of infrastructure projects subject to BABA requirements. The company’s plans include determining the optimal production location in the United States, strategically expanding sourcing agreements to meet local material requirements, and further developing electric power options for high-capacity equipment.

Keep ReadingShow less
map of truck routes in US

California moves a step closer to requiring EV sales only by 2035

Federal regulators today gave California a green light to tackle the remaining steps to finalize its plan to gradually shift new car sales in the state by 2035 to only zero-emissions models — meaning battery-electric, hydrogen fuel cell, and plug-in hybrid cars — known as the Advanced Clean Cars II Rule.

In a separate move, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also gave its approval for the state to advance its Heavy-Duty Omnibus Rule, which is crafted to significantly reduce smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from new heavy-duty, diesel-powered trucks.

Keep ReadingShow less
screenshots for starboard trade software

Canadian startup gains $5.5 million for AI-based global trade platform

A Canadian startup that provides AI-powered logistics solutions has gained $5.5 million in seed funding to support its concept of creating a digital platform for global trade, according to Toronto-based Starboard.

The round was led by Eclipse, with participation from previous backers Garuda Ventures and Everywhere Ventures. The firm says it will use its new backing to expand its engineering team in Toronto and accelerate its AI-driven product development to simplify supply chain complexities.

Keep ReadingShow less