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6 River Systems’ Chuck autonomous cellular robots. | Source: 6 River Systems
Ocado Group is buying autonomous cellular robotic maker 6 River Systems from Shopify. Financial particulars of the deal weren’t disclosed.
6 River Systems develops the Chuck autonomous cellular robotic (AMRs) for the logistics and non-grocery retail sectors. Based in Massachusetts, 6 River Systems was based in 2015 by Rylan Hamilton, Jerome Dubois and Chris Cacioppo, who’ve deep data of robotics, software program and success operations. Dubois and Hamilton are former workers of Kiva Systems, the well-known AGV maker acquired by Amazon in 2012 for $775 million.
“We are delighted to welcome new colleagues to the Ocado family. 6 River Systems brings exciting new IP and possibilities to the wider Ocado technology estate, as well as valuable commercial and R&D expertise in non-grocery retail segments,” stated James Matthews, CEO of Ocado Technology. “Chuck robots are currently deployed in over 100 warehouses worldwide, with more than 70 customers. We’re looking forward to supporting 6 River Systems to build on these and new relationships in the years to come.”
Shopify acquired 6 River Systems in September 2019 for $450 million. Shopify, the Canadian e-commerce big, paid 60% in money and 40% in shares for the deal. At the time, Shopify stated the acquisition “is a critical step to accelerate its growth.”
One supply instructed The Robot Report “the whole [6 River Systems] robotics team was axed and sold to Ocado.” The supply continued, “Shopify sold 2/3 of Shopify Logistics to Flexport and 6RS to Ocado. The Shopify Logistics leadership was a disaster.”
This seems to be half of a bigger spherical of layoffs at Shopify. It stated on Thursday that it will let go 20% of its workforce in a second spherical of layoffs and offered its logistics arm to freight forwarder Flexport, sending its U.S.-listed shares up 16% in premarket buying and selling. Shopify additionally reported better-than-expected outcomes for the primary quarter, as extra retailers used its on-line instruments and focusing on companies to draw clients tackling excessive inflation.
One supply instructed The Robot Report that with this acquisition “Ocado can now go after non-grocery since they won the lawsuit against Autostore. [6 River Systems] will help them do more.”
This refers back to the lengthy patent infringement lawsuit Ocado not too long ago gained over AutoStore. AutoStore filed the go well with in October 2020, claiming that Ocado’s automated storage and retrieval techniques (ASRS) infringed on six of its patents. But the UK High Court dominated that AutoStore’s patents have been invalid and that Ocado didn’t infringe upon them. Both AutoStore and Ocado function automated storage and retrieval techniques (ASRS) that function on comparable rules.
Editor’s Note: The story is growing and can be up to date as wanted.