The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Locus Robotics acquires Waypoint Robotics to diversify AMR lineup

By Steve Crowe | September 20, 2021

Locus Robotics, a leading provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) based in Wilmington, Mass., today acquired fellow AMR developer Waypoint Robotics. Waypoint brings multiple form factors and heavy-duty payload capabilities to the table, opening up new markets to Locus and expanding deployments with existing customers. Financial details of the acquisition weren’t disclosed.

For now, Waypoint Robotics will maintain its branding and headquarters in Nashua, New Hampshire. Waypoint, formerly known as Stanley Robotics, has been a bootstrapped company since it spun out of Stanley Innovation. Becoming part of the Locus family gives Waypoint needed resources in all aspects of its business.

Locus has raised approximately $305 million since it was founded in 2014 and is valued at more than $1 billion. Earlier in 2021 after closing a $150 million Series E round, Locus said it had 4,000 AMRs out in the field and 40-plus customers. It also recently announced an expanded partnership with DHL.

Locus has done all of this with just one AMR form factor, the LocusBot, with limited payload capacity. Waypoint’s Vector and MAV3K industrial-strength AMRs offer up to 600 lb. and 3000 lb. payload capacities, respectively. Waypoint’s AMRs also feature omnidirectional wheels that make them well-suited for certain challenging environments.

“The acquisition of Waypoint Robotics will accelerate our product roadmap,” said Locus Robotics CEO Rick Faulk. “We will be introducing product offerings that address our customers’ urgent and growing needs worldwide including serving industries with use cases requiring robots to handle larger, heavier payloads.”

How the Locus-Waypoint deal came together

Jason Walker, CEO and co-founder of Waypoint Robotics, said the company came to a consensus earlier in 2021 that it was time to raise money. “There is such a thing as getting muscled out of the market,” he told The Robot Report. “The bigger other companies get, the harder it gets for us to get our messaging out to customers.”

Walker said Waypoint solved the problems – product maturity, technical capabilities, customer value – it needed to solve for customers to deploy in a bigger way. However, Walker said Waypoint lost deals with potential customers who voiced concerns about Waypoint’s small company size.

“We’re really excited that we’ve instantaneously resolved all those questions from customers,” Walker said about being acquired by Locus. “My sales philosophy is to eliminate the objections. We’re excited about getting rid of those from customers who loved our products but were reluctant to go in.”

“We’d grown organically, but relative to Locus, for example, we’re a lifestyle company,” said Walker. “In a lot of ways, we were faced with a situation about how to take this to another level. We were open to either funding or acquisition. If we took money, it had to be the right type of money from people who could add value. And being acquired had to be by a group that was exceptional. And Locus jumped at this opportunity.”

Waypoint became the fourth AMR company acquired in just the last five months. The chart below recaps some of the more notable AMR acquisitions throughout the years.

12 notable warehouse-focused AMR acquisitions

AcquirerAcquiredAmount ($M)DateStory
Locus RoboticsWaypoint Robotics--9/20/21Story
ABBASTI Mobile Robotics1907/20/21Story
Zebra TechnologiesFetch Robotics2907/1/21Story
JASCI SoftwareNextShift Robotics--5/4/21Story
Shopify6 River Systems4509/9/19Story
TeradyneAutoGuide Mobile Robots5810/21/19Story
AmazonCanvas Technology100+4/11/19Story
TeradyneMobile Industrial Robots2724/26/18Story
OmronAdept2009/16/15Story
KUKASwisslog3579/25/14Story
AmazonKiva Systems7753/19/12Story
AdeptMobileRobots--6/14/10Story

ROS-based AMRs

Walker has often talked about standards for AMRs. In fact, he discussed it at length when he appeared on The Robot Report Podcast. Both Locus and Waypoint built their AMRs on top of the robot operating system (ROS), the popular open-source software frameworks for robotics development. This makes things easier, for example, if one customer wants to deploy AMRs from both companies in a facility.

“This might look lucky now, but it was deliberate,” said Walker. “We tried to leave ways to communicate and integrate with our robots open and easy.” Fact that locus uses a ROS-based robot … will talk to our robots the same way they talk to a locus robot.

Both Locus and Waypoint are also involved in the mobile robot standard from MassRobotics. The new initiative enables AMRs from multiple vendors to integrate and work together seamlessly to support safe and efficient operations in global factories, warehouses, distribution and fulfillment centers.

“One exciting feature is that they are interoperable with our award-winning LocusBot,” said Faulk. “We are also committed to similar interoperability and communication with other robotics systems and IoT devices to further expand use cases in facilities.”

One thing to keep an eye on is the different sales approaches from these companies. Locus uses a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) business model where clients pay for the service delivered by the solution, instead of paying to acquire a capital asset. Waypoint has used a classic capital expenditure business model. Waypoint clients buy the AMRs and own them. This enables the client to customize the payload on the AMR and to deploy it into any application it chooses.

Faulk and Walker will be guests on this week’s The Robot Report Podcast. So stay tuned for more coverage of this acquisition.

About The Author

Steve Crowe

Steve Crowe is Executive Editor, Robotics, WTWH Media, and chair of the Robotics Summit & Expo and RoboBusiness. He is also co-host of The Robot Report Podcast, the top-rated podcast for the robotics industry. He joined WTWH Media in January 2018 after spending four-plus years as Managing Editor of Robotics Trends Media. He can be reached at scrowe@wtwhmedia.com

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles Read More >

Saronic's Marauder ASV.
Saronic unveils autonomous vessel and acquires Gulf Craft to boost production
collage of images of Automha robotics.
Comau to acquire warehousing automation firm Automha in strategic expansion
A CNC Material sample part from Fictiv.
MISUMI acquires Fictiv for $350M to scale component offerings
four different models lined up.
Hugging Face bridges gap between AI and physical world with Pollen Robotics acquisition

RBR50 Innovation Awards

“rr
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Robotics Professionals.
The Robot Report Listing Database

Latest Episode of The Robot Report Podcast

Automated Warehouse Research Reports

Sponsored Content

  • Sager Electronics and its partners, logos shown here, will exhibit at the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo. Sager Electronics to exhibit at the Robotics Summit & Expo
  • The Shift in Robotics: How Visual Perception is Separating Winners from the Pack
  • An AutoStore automated storage and retrieval grid. Webinar to provide automated storage and retrieval adoption advice
  • Smaller, tougher devices for evolving demands
  • Modular motors and gearboxes make product development simple
The Robot Report
  • Mobile Robot Guide
  • Collaborative Robotics Trends
  • Field Robotics Forum
  • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
  • RoboBusiness Event
  • Robotics Summit & Expo
  • About The Robot Report
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe