Sealed Air has acquired certain assets of Intellibot Robotics LLC, a US-based privately owned company that ‘has pioneered the development of commercial floor cleaning robots’.
The acquisition, announced yesterday (15 April), includes certain intellectual property, the manufacturing operations in Virginia as well as sales, production and engineering staff. The business will be integrated into Sealed Air’s Diversey Care division and its Taski floor cleaning machines.
‘The demand for automated cleaning machines is growing rapidly in the world’s developed countries due to significant advances in technology, labor shortages and the need for higher productivity in daily cleaning tasks.
‘Intellibot’s value proposition is based on “hands-free cleaning” robots which improve the economics of cleaning by reducing labor costs and increasing productivity,’ stated Sealed Air.
According to Dr Ilham Kadri, Diversey Care president, “This is another example of how Sealed Air is changing the game and it positions Diversey Care as the first hygiene and cleaning player to enter the industrial robotics arena.
“Our industry expertise, global reach, design and manufacturing capabilities combined with Intellibot’s groundbreaking artificial intelligence technology will help accelerate the development of the robotic floor cleaning machines market – ultimately driving efficiencies and business value for our industry.”
Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Sealed Air does not expect the transaction to be material to its consolidated financial position or results of operation.