Wany Robotics secures funding in hi-growth domestic market

Citation

(2003), "Wany Robotics secures funding in hi-growth domestic market", Industrial Robot, Vol. 30 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ir.2003.04930cab.002

Wany Robotics secures funding in hi-growth domestic market

Wany Robotics secures funding in hi-growth domestic market

Keywords: Robots, Household

Wany Robotics, an international supplier of robotics technology solutions has announced that it has secured additional investment through a round of capital financing. The capital injection was led by the BNP Private Equity, and included Societe Generale Asset Management and Credit Mutuel du Nord Europe.

“We are convinced that robotics technologies will drive the next wave of innovation in household products of all kinds, from cleaning appliances to educational toys for kids,” said Erwann Lavarec, Chairman and CEO of Wany, Robotics. “This latest investment clearly supports our vision and strategy, and underlines the significant market potential for our solutions.”

The funding will be used to invest in R&D efforts on technology development and next-generation solutions for mobile home appliances. Wany will continue to increase its strategic partnerships, technology license agreements, and integration services, three key factors that have driven Wany’s current growth.

The capital injection will also fuel Wany’s international growth on the market for rapid prototyping platforms for mass-market robotic applications. The company will be launching its latest mobile robot – the Pekee development platform – in North America starting in January 2003.

“Many people think that robots are today where PCs were in the early 1980s, but without having any clear idea of their usage on a day-to-day basis,” says Alain Molinie, Wany Executive Vice President and COO. “Now with Wany’s solutions, useful appliances such as self-running mobile vacuum cleaners and education robots for families and children can be developed without the high-prices that would keep people from buying them. We believe that Wany is ideally positioned to drive growth in this sector by providing and promoting low-cost robotics technologies that bring solutions that people can really use.”

Wany and its investors are not the only ones who believe in this scenario. In its recent survey World Robotics 2002, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe states that “household robots are now on the verge of taking off.” The survey also forecasts “sales of all types of domestic robots (vacuum cleaning, lawn mowing, window cleaning and other types) in the period 2002-2005 could reach some 700,000 units. The market for toy and entertainment robots is forecast to exceed 1,000,000 units, most of which are, of course, very low cost.” Wany produces OEM solutions for these kinds of applications.

For more information, visit the Wany Robotics Web site at http://www.wanyrobotics.com