Formant partners with Holman on cloud robotics platform

By The Robot Report Staff | November 6, 2024

Formant, a developer of a leading cloud robotics platform, has partnered with Holman, a global automotive services company. This collaboration will combine Formant’s cloud robotics platform with Holman’s fleet and automotive expertise.

Formant’s expertise in cloud robotics shares a number of natural synergies with Holman’s suite of commercial automotive services, which includes fleet management and leasing, upfitting, and vocational vehicle equipment manufacturing. Formant said the commercial partnership with Holman will help fuel the growth and ongoing development of its robotics platform, which transforms how businesses manage their fleet while integrating physical automation.

Formant told The Robot Report it is interested in looking beyond robots for its offerings, while Holman is interested in looking beyond traditional vehicles in its offering.

“The trust placed in Formant by an industry leader like Holman validates our position in the market and our ability to serve enterprise-level clients,” said Jeff Linnell, CEO and founder of Formant. “This partnership opens new avenues for both companies to innovate and provide cutting-edge solutions as traditional fleet management and robotics continue to intersect.”

According to Crunchbase, Formant has raised $45 million since it was founded in 2017. Holman Growth Ventures participated in two rounds, including last year’s $21 million raise.

As traditional fleet vehicles and automated machinery continue to integrate across fleet operations, a growing number of businesses need a solution for simplified management of these assets across their entire organization. This partnership is poised to address this evolving need, providing management solutions for both vehicles and robotics that positions these assets as valuable strategic investments rather than simply operational costs.

“For more than a century, Holman has been quick to embrace emerging technologies that strengthen our core competencies and have the potential to deliver additional value for our customers,” said Holman Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer Gernot Leinenbach. “After an initial investment several years ago, Holman is proud to further support Formant’s continued growth through this strategic partnership. This collaboration provides deep insight and broad visibility into the rapidly maturing robotics sector, which continues to converge with the fleet management industry.”

Holman was founded 100 years ago as a single Ford dealership in New Jersey. Today, Holman, headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, is one of the largest family-owned automotive service organizations in North America with nearly 9,000 employees across North America, the UK, and Germany.

Formant works with leading robotics companies including Blue River Technology, Burro, Diligent, GrayMatter Robotics, Scythe, Softbank Robotics and more.

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Formant announced a partnership with Slalom during RoboBusiness 2024, an event produced by The Robot Report. Slalom is a global business and technology consulting company. The companies plan to combine Slalom’s deep digital transformation and change management expertise with Formant’s cutting-edge robotics platform. With the combined platform, they said the partnership offers a comprehensive solution that de-risks automation initiatives and maximizes their business impact.

Earlier in 2024, Formant introduced an analytics feature to help users optimize their fleet performance. The tool aims to help robotics users make data-informed business decisions and prove their return on investment. Formant said it created the feature in response to the growing demand for data-driven insights in robotics.