SICK acquires Accerion to bolster AMR positioning technology

With Triton, Accerion aims to address the common pain points that come with SLAM navigation. | Source: Accerion

SICK, a developer of sensor-based automation solutions, acquired Accerion for an undisclosed amount. Accerion is a Dutch technology company that specializes in AI-based image processing and focuses on positioning technologies for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).
The companies have worked together since 2021 to give AMRs precise localization, positioning, and navigation capabilities.

Germany-based SICK said the acquisition strengthens its portfolio of positioning technologies.

“We are very pleased to welcome the Accerion team to SICK and to further strengthen our software portfolio for autonomous mobile robots for the future,” said Dr. Niels Syassen, executive board member for technology and digitalization at SICK. “The market for sensor solutions for autonomous mobile robots offers enormous growth potential, as the demands on industrial companies for an efficient supply chain in terms of throughput, availability, flexibility, and safety are steadily increasing. To best support customers worldwide in their automation projects, we are further developing our own sensor solutions and investing in new technologies.”

The entire product portfolio and Accerion team transitioned to SICK on January 16, 2025. The new SICK subsidiary, SICK Accerion B.V., will continue its product development at the current location in Venlo, Netherlands.

SICK has 60 subsidiaries worldwide, more than 12,000 employees, and a group revenue of EUR 2.3 billion in its 2023 fiscal year.

SICK targets AMRs with acquisition

Accerion was founded in 2015 in the Netherlands. The company’s software-driven positioning solution, Triton, is an industrialized, infrastructure-free localization solution for floor structures based on mobile robot camera technology.

“With our dedicated team, we built Triton, a cutting-edge localization solution, entirely from the ground up. Today, Triton delivers high-performance localization for thousands of robots around the globe. Our close collaboration with SICK has shown how perfectly our products and cultures complement one another. We are thrilled to officially join the SICK family, where we can leverage this synergy to scale localization solutions worldwide,” Vincent Burg, CEO of Accerion, said.

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AMRs are enabling higher efficiency through automation in warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, and other industrial sectors. SICK said the global market for AMRs has a volume of around four billion euros. The company added that growth rates of over 15% show that industrial companies are increasingly relying on AMRs.

Modern sensor technologies for navigation, localization, and positioning enable AMRs to precisely and safely navigate their environment. Especially when working around people, it is essential that AMRs recognize their surroundings and people.

Sensor-related deals

The Robot Report has seen several acquisitions in the sensor space in recent years. In February 2023, Ouster and Velodyne, two of the biggest lidar providers, completed their merger. The combined company has over 850 customers spanning the automotive, industrial, robotics, and smart infrastructure industries. Additionally, it has a wide intellectual property portfolio with 173 granted and 504 pending patents.

In December 2024, Zebra Technologies announced plans to acquire Photoneo Brightpick Group’s vision unit. At the beginning of 2024, ABB acquired Sevensense, which combines AI and 3D vision to enable AMRs to differentiate between fixed and mobile objects in dynamic environments.

Intel is planning to spin off its RealSense business as an independent company. Intel said this will be done in the first half of 2025, with the new business being an Intel Capital portfolio company. Intel told The Robot Report the new version of RealSense will maintain the same product roadmap, SKUs and level of service for its customers.

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