Zebra Technologies plans to exit its robotics automation business, marking the end of the company’s push into warehouse mobile robots following its 2021 acquisition of Fetch Robotics.
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The decision was disclosed in its December SEC filing. Zebra said it intends to dispose of or wind down the robotics automation unit, which includes autonomous mobile robots used in warehouse picking operations.
Zebra entered the robotics space in 2021 when it acquired Fetch Robotics for $290 million. Fetch developed autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, that move through warehouses alongside workers, helping reduce walking time and speed up order picking. After the acquisition, Zebra folded the technology into a branded offering called Symmetry Fulfillment and continued to invest in both hardware and software.
Those investments included new robot features and software updates, as well as a detachable cart option introduced earlier this year that expanded how the robots could be used in picking workflows. Zebra also highlighted customer deployments, including a rollout at ODW Logistics.
Despite those efforts, Zebra has now decided to step away from the robotics business as part of a broader shift in focus.
“Zebra Technologies has decided to explore strategic options for our robotics automation business,” the company said in a statement to Modern Materials Handling. “This move will enable Zebra to further sharpen our strategic focus on digitizing and automating frontline workflows and on our investments in key growth areas, including our core markets such as mobile computing, printing, and scanning as well as RFID, machine vision, AI and software solutions.”
The exit comes as the warehouse robotics market continues to grow, but also becomes more segmented and harder to scale. While AMRs are now widely used by large retailers and third-party logistics providers, not every robotics solution fits every workflow or customer.
Ash Sharma, VP of research at Interact Analysis, said Zebra acquired Fetch during a period of intense enthusiasm for AMRs and paid a premium for the business.
“In reality, the industry comprises multiple segments, each requiring specific AMR form factors tailored to distinct workflows,” Sharma said. “The segment targeted by Zebra through Fetch’s technology was worth only a few hundred million dollars.”
Sharma added that large-scale deployments have changed the economics and expectations for AMR vendors. “Their requirements and procurement processes differ significantly from early adopters, demanding a fundamentally different approach to achieve scale,” he said.
