Symbotic acquires OhmniLabs, maker of disinfection & telepresence robots

By The Robot Report Staff | December 19, 2024

Symbotic has acquired OhmniLabs, a Silicon Valley-based developer of healthcare robotics systems. The companies did not disclose the financial details of the transaction. While Symbotic could pursue healthcare robotics solutions, it certainly would also be interested in OhmniLabs’ in-house manufacturing expertise. 

Founded in 2015, OhmniLabs builds disinfection and telepresence robots. It has used a fully in-house development and manufacturing model that it said sped up its time to market. Ohmnilabs has two main product:

• OhmniClean, a fully autonomous UV-C disinfection robot
• OhmniCare, a mobile telehealth robot

OhmniLab’s also has modular library with prototyping capabilities that let customers design, develop, and deploy robotics applications. The company said it will continue to sell and support Ohmni products as part of Symbotic’s team and product line.

Symbotic offers end-to-end, A.I.-powered robotic and software platforms. The Wilmington, Mass.-based company applies high-density storage, mobile robots, and machine learning to help solve complex distribution challenges. It won a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for its modular automation approach for logistics.

With the strategic acquisition of OhmniLabs, Symbotic said it will be better positioned to expand its automation capabilities for supply chain customers. It’s also interested in delivering enhanced innovation to customers in the healthcare industry.

“Combining Symbotic’s expertise in large-scale automation with OhmniLabs’ ground-breaking mobile robots, vision, and A.I. solutions will enable the development of unparalleled automation innovations across different settings,” said Rick Cohen, executive chairman and CEO of Symbotic. “We were drawn to OhmniLabs for its impressive talent and industry experience that will enable our expansion beyond the four walls of the warehouse.”

“OhmniLabs’ mission has been to develop meaningful robotics to provide real-world solutions, and we have made significant progress with the support of our loyal team members and customers. Being a part of Symbotic, a true leader in robotics innovation, will propel this vision forward to deliver cutting-edge solutions that redefine what’s possible in health care, logistics and beyond,” said Jared Go, Co-founder and CTO, OhmniLabs.

This isn’t Symbotic’s first robotics acquisition of 2024. In August, it acquired “substantially all of the assets” of Veo Robotics for $8.7 million. Symbotic told The Robot Report that it now owns Veo Robotics’ FreeMove technology, which supports safeguarding for industrial robots and promotes human-robot collaboration. FreeMove essentially turns large, high-speed industrial robots into collaborative robots.