SICK Acquires Tech Startup Accerion and Expands Autonomous Mobile Robots Portfolio – AI and Software-Based Localization Solutions for Industrial Automation
February 20, 2025
SICK, an international provider of sensor-based automation solutions headquartered in Germany, recently announced the acquisition of the Dutch technology company Accerion. Accerion specializes in AI-based image processing with a focus on positioning technologies for mobile robots. Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) are primarily used in logistics and manufacturing. They enable higher efficiency through automation in warehousing, intralogistics, manufacturing, and many other industrial sectors. With the acquisition of the tech startup Accerion, customers will benefit from a complete solution portfolio of positioning solutions from SICK.
Innovation hub for software-driven localization
Accerion was founded in 2015 in the Netherlands and has established itself as a tech startup specializing in AI-based image processing for the positioning of autonomous mobile robots. With the software-driven positioning solution “Triton”, Accerion introduced the world’s first industrialized, infrastructure-free localization solution for floor structures based on camera technology for mobile robots. Since 2021, SICK has been partnering with Accerion to support industrial customers worldwide in the precise localization, positioning, and navigation of mobile robots.
Accerion now part of the SICK Group
With the acquisition, the entire product portfolio and the Accerion team with technology and sales experts, fully transitioned to SICK on January 16, 2025. The product development of the new SICK subsidiary “SICK Accerion B.V.“ will continue at the current location in Venlo, Netherlands.
SICK expands software portfolio for Autonomous Mobile Robots
“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,” says Dr. Niels Syassen, Executive Board Member for Technology & 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,” adds Dr. Niels Syassen.
Vincent Burg, CEO of Accerion, says: “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.”
Autonomous Mobile Robots – a global growth market
The global market for Autonomous Mobile Robots has a volume of around four billion euros. Growth rates of over 15 percent show that industrial companies, such as those in efficiency-driven intralogistics, are increasingly relying on the support of Autonomous Mobile Robots. Modern sensor technologies and software solutions for navigation, localization, and positioning enable the precise and safe movement of mobile robots in dynamic environments. Especially in the vicinity of people, it is essential that autonomous robots reliably recognize their surroundings and people.
Today, SICK is already one of the leading solution providers in this field worldwide. With the acquisition of Accerion, SICK is investing in future growth, expanding its expertise in software-based applications, and providing customers with a comprehensive portfolio of positioning solutions from SICK.
About Accerion:
Accerion is a tech startup based in Venlo, Netherlands, founded in 2015 by Willem-Jan Lamers. Under the leadership of Vincent Burg, the Accerion team has developed a completely infrastructure-free positioning technology for mobile robots that uses the floor as a reference. With its breakthrough optical positioning and navigation technology for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), Accerion’s innovation enables effective navigation for mobile robotics and autonomous vehicles, achieving high accuracy without requiring expensive and inflexible infrastructure in the field.
About SICK:
SICK is one of the world’s leading solutions providers for sensor-based applications in the industrial sector. Founded in 1946 by Dr.-Ing. e. h. Erwin Sick, the company with headquarters in Waldkirch im Breisgau near Freiburg ranks among the technological market leaders. With 60 subsidiaries and equity investments as well as numerous agencies, SICK maintains a presence around the globe. SICK has more than 12,000 employees worldwide and generated a group revenue of EUR 2.3 billion in the 2023 fiscal year. Additional information about SICK is available at www.sick.com
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