Iván Hernández Dalas: Skild acquires Fetch Robotics assets from Zebra

In a move to bridge the gap between foundation AI and industrial hardware, Skild AI has acquired the robotics division of Zebra Technologies (formerly Fetch Robotics). Skild said the acquisition will help it deploy its “omni-bodied” intelligence layer across the global logistics sector. By integrating its hardware-agnostic AI “brain” with Zebra’s battle-tested warehouse platforms, the acquisition aims to transform task-specific automation into a unified, autonomous fulfillment ecosystem while fueling Skild AI’s proprietary data flywheel.

In a blog article on the Skild website, the company outlined a few details of the acquisition. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Skild wrote that the acquisition signals a pivot away from “brittle,” task-oriented robotics toward a unified intelligence layer capable of controlling diverse forms of machines. By merging its hardware-agnostic foundation model with Zebra’s established Symmetry orchestration platform, Skild AI aims to eliminate human bottlenecks in the fulfillment pipeline and create a self-reinforcing data flywheel that could redefine productivity in the multi-billion-dollar logistics and 3PL industries.

Skild CEO and co-founder Deepak Pathak told The Robot Report that “the Fetch Team is the main reason for the acquisition as they bring years of deployment experience.” Skild plans to support the existing Fetch/Zebra installed base, sell new Fetch robots, and integrate the Skild Brain into Fetch products. This, the company said, will enhance the robots’ capabilities and open up new advanced manipulation solutions for the warehouse.

The Zebra Symmetry platform is essentially the fleet management layer of the software, coordinating and orchestrating the robots’ work. As seen in the video above, Skild has a vision of bringing together any combination of robotic solutions to complete a given workflow.

It is clear that Skild is interested in continuing to develop the Symmetry software and integrate it deeply with the Skild Brain. However, it’s not clear if Skild will continue to develop the Fetch autonomous mobile robot (AMR) platform.

Skild is building a data flywheel

Skild is focused on building out its “data flywheel” to train AI world models. The primary differentiator for Skild is the Skild Brain, a foundation model designed to operate any machine that moves. Skild designed the AI to adapt to physical changes, such as a robot losing a limb or changing its center of mass, without needing retraining from scratch.

Skild AI uses a “catch-22” resolution strategy: robots need data to improve, but only capable robots can be deployed to gather data.

The company solves this through a phased rollout:

  • Phase 1 (Semi-Structured): Initial deployment in predictable environments like factories, warehouses, and data centers.
  • Phase 2 (Dynamic Environments): Moving into hospitals, hotels, and construction sites.
  • Phase 3 (Unstructured): Achieving general-purpose robots capable of operating in fully unpredictable environments, such as private homes.

Skild AI partners with major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to embed its brain into existing industrial infrastructure.

Key partners include ABB Robotics, Universal Robots, and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), which allow Skild to scale quickly by utilizing the hardware footprint of some of the world’s largest robotics providers.

As seen with the Zebra Technologies acquisition, Skild integrates its AI into existing software platforms, like Symmetry, to manage large fleets of diverse robots under one intelligence layer.

A long and winding path for Fetch Robotics

Zebra's portfolio includes Fetch mobile robots for parts fulfillment.

Zebra’s portfolio previously included Fetch mobile robots for parts fulfillment. | Source: Zebra Technologies

Fetch Robotics was founded in 2014 by Melonee Wise and was an early pioneer in the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) market. As an early leader in the AMR market, Fetch helped set the standard for logistics and warehousing verticals.

Subsequently, Zebra Automation acquired the company for $291 million in July 2021. At the time, Zebra Technologies already owned 5% of Fetch Robotics through an earlier investment. Zebra acquired the remaining 95% of Fetch Robotics. Wise left the Zebra to become CTO at Agility Robotics and is now CPO at Kuka Robotics.

In a surprise move, Zebra announced in December 2025 that it was “winding down” the Fetch robotics division of the company.

What’s not clear in the Skild acquisition, and remains undisclosed, is how many employees were left in the Fetch robotics division following the announced closure last December. There has likely been a brain drain since that announcement.

“Zebra Technologies has decided to explore strategic options for our robotics automation business,” the company said in an emailed statement to The Robot Report in December. “This move will enable Zebra to further sharpen our strategic focus on digitizing and automating frontline workflows and on our investments in key growth areas. Long term, we will continue to provide solutions that empower organizations to increase productivity, optimize inventory, and better serve consumers and patients across the industries we serve.”

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The post Skild acquires Fetch Robotics assets from Zebra appeared first on The Robot Report.



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