Pickommerce, a warehouse automation startup, has secured $3.4 million in funding to advance the development, production and marketing of its “innovative PickoBot piece-picking robot”.
Pickommerce’s technology is poised to disrupt the warehouse automation market, which is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 53.4 percent and reach nearly $9 billion by 2029, according to research firm Mordor Intelligence.
The funding round was led by IL Ventures, a fund focused on disruptive technologies for legacy industries, and includes InNegev, Fusion VC, the Israel Innovation Authority and strategic investor ZIM Ventures, the corporate venture arm of maritime shipping company ZIM Integrated Shipping Services.
Today’s logistics warehouses are increasingly automated, with processes like crate collection and package unloading now predominantly handled by robots. However, the final “Pick and Pack” step largely relies on human pickers, even in the most advanced warehouses.
This presents a significant challenge, as there is a global shortage of tens of millions of workers in these roles. To fill this void, piece-picking robots are quickly becoming a critical component of the modern automated warehouse.
They increase efficiency by picking and placing inventory for a wide range of items, reducing labor needs for repetitive tasks while improving performance and decreasing errors.
With PickoBot, Pickommerce has delivered the missing link in achieving a fully autonomous warehouse workflow, providing a superior solution for various industries such as apparel, retail (consumer goods, food, DIY, electrical, and so on), e-commerce, pharmaceutical, agricultural and spare parts.
PickoBot utilizes an advanced computer vision system powered by machine learning that enables the safe and intelligent packaging of objects of different sizes, weights and textures.
It features multiple gripping methods in a single station, including vacuum, finger-based, and patented adhesive-based grippers. An AI-driven decision-making algorithm selects the optimal gripper and grasp configuration for each item.
Pickommerce’s patent-protected technologies significantly increase the variety of products that can be handled by robots in logistics, as well as the level of autonomy those robots possess.
Yoni Heilbronn, IL Ventures’ managing partner, says: “Pickommerce is disrupting the logistics industry by delivering advanced solutions that streamline automation operations, significantly enhancing their overall efficiency.
“In an industry where manual picking still overwhelmingly dominates the process, this solution is poised to redefine standards and drive a new era that’s more agile, responsive, and cost-effective.
“Booming demand for Pickommerce’s technology shows that the company’s solutions cater to an urgent and essential market need.”
Pickommerce’s recent installation at Havivian Farm, one of the largest organic farms in Israel, showcases the adaptability and precision – or in this case, gentle touch – of Pickommerce’s intelligent gripping technology.
This organic farming enterprise turned to Pickommerce to reduce operational costs by automating their high-volume fresh produce packing line.
Unlike competitive solutions, PickoBot is proficient at adapting to and handling the complexities of picking and packing fresh produce at a rapid pace. This capability is valuable for any supermarket that accepts online orders.
Boaz Havivian, owner of Havivian Farms, says: “At Havivian Farms, quality is at the core of everything we do. From planting seeds in the soil to harvesting our crops, we are committed to ensuring our customers receive the freshest, highest-quality goods.
“Pickommerce has been integral to this process. Their Picobot enables us to efficiently handle and pack our produce for shipment, ensuring it reaches customers in perfect condition.”
Kfir Nissim, co-founder and CEO of Pickommerce, says: “We appreciate the commitment from our investors, customers and partners, and we are seeing significant market demand for Pickobot.
“We are pushing the boundaries of the industry by offering unmatched flexibility with the PickoBot’s diverse gripping abilities. This is achieved through the seamless integration of advanced computer vision, a highly optimized packing algorithm, and AI-powered decision-making.”
