Plus One Robotics, a 3D vision and controls developer for robotic automation in the logistics and e-commerce markets, has raised $8.3 million in its Series A investment round.
The funding round was led by Pritzker Group Venture Capital, with participation from Zebra Technologies. Also participating in the round were Schematic Ventures, Lerer Hippeau, TCL Ventures, ff Venture Capital, Dynamo, and First Star Ventures.
Erik Nieves, Plus One Robotics CEO, says: “We are delighted to add two more firms with deep roots in logistics and supply chain to our leadership.”
Ty Findley, of Pritzker Group Venture Capital, says: “Already working with some of the world’s premier logistics providers, Plus One’s best-in-class intelligent perception technology and human-centric approach are on a path to redefine how modern distribution and fulfillment centers operate.
Findley adds: “Erik, Shaun and Paul bring decades of domain expertise to solve this problem and they are uniquely equipped to capitalize on this large and growing market opportunity. We’re proud to work closely with the team as they scale their vision.”
Tony Palcheck, of Zebra Ventures, says: “We work with early-stage innovative companies that share our ambition to drive productive, automated workflows through transformative technology.
“We continually seek effective solutions that provide a performance edge by intelligently connecting people, assets and data. Plus One Robotics augments manual human labor, freeing up personnel to focus on more value-add activities.”
Plus One also announced the appointment of David Scheffrahn as vice president of sales. In his role, Scheffrahn will lead direct and channel sales efforts.
Plus One’s flagship product, the PickOne Perception System, is a 3D vision system for the order-fulfillment and parcel-shipping markets.
The company says that rising consumer demand for shorter delivery times has increased the need for efficiency in handling and sortation of the millions of packages that must be handled each day.
Erik Nieves says: “The tight labor market and accelerating growth mean these e-commerce operators are eager for improvements in productivity. David’s deep knowledge of our market, customers and partners make him the ideal candidate to lead our next phase of growth.”
Scheffrahn brings more than 20 years of sales experience in automation and robotics, having previously worked at Yaskawa Motoman Robotics, Rethink Robotics, which appears to have closed down, and most recently, Seegrid.
Scheffrahn says: “I have been in the enviable position to work with the world’s most innovative retailers and supply chain companies. They understand that their employees are their most valuable resource.
“We share their vision to elevate human workers to value-added tasks and reduce their burden of mundane, repetitive work. When I was introduced to Plus One Robotics’ customer community, leadership team and technology, I knew I had to be part of this.”
