Analysis:
Some have said Walmart is a place where innovation goes to die. That couldn’t be to further from the truth with its acquisition of Alert Innovation. According to Alert’s CTO and co-founder Bill Fosnight, “ultimately we met with Walmart, and Walmart provided us with the ability to start up as a company in 2016.” Walmart has been there from the beginning for Alert Innovation, and for good reason. With Alert’s technology, Walmart said it will be better positioned to leverage its more than 4,700 U.S. stores, situated within 10 miles of 90% of the population. Bringing Alert’s technology in house will enable Walmart to reach its customers quicker by deploying MFCs with greater speed. This is part of Walmart’s broader goal to introduce the next generation of fulfillment centers and continue to transform its world-class supply chain. It’s also a win for robotics startups, which haven’t always had a happy ending when working with Walmart. - Steve Crowe