Recent deals demonstrate a clear industry trend where major e-commerce players are actively investing in various external robotics companies. This strategy suggests that the platforms want to secure access to new technology and position themselves early to participate in any potential future breakthroughs in warehouse automation. As another example, Amazon recently made an investment in German Neura Robotics, a company that develops AI-powered robots for logistics environments and recently closed a funding round of $1.4 billion.
Zalando has also shown increased interest in automating its logistics elsewhere. Earlier this year, the e-commerce retailer began rolling out up to 50 AI-powered robots from the company Nomagic. These machines are being integrated into several European logistics centers, including in Stockholm, to handle automated picking and sorting of shoe boxes, among other tasks.
AI Operating System
Sereact’s solution is based on the Cortex software. It functions as an AI operating system adapted for various hardware, from single-arm picking stations to humanoid robots. According to the company, over 200 systems are currently in operation around Europe and have passed one billion completed picks in a production environment. The focus going forward is on launching the next generation of the software. The new version will be able to predict physical outcomes and plan robot movements in advance through a learned world model, with the aim of increasing efficiency in handling.
Masood Choudhry, Senior Vice President Fulfilment at Zalando, comments on the deal:
This strategic investment underscores Zalando’s commitment to supporting European technology companies, driving industry innovation and shaping the standards for modern e-commerce.
From Sereact’s side, the partnership is welcomed by CEO and co-founder Ralf Gulde:
We are pleased that Zalando is now a strategic investor. It is a strong signal to the market: companies that focus on operational excellence believe in our technologies.