Zebra Ventures

AI, robotics, and IoT to streamline the flow of goods and information

Logistics Tech

Locus Robotics develops autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for warehousing and manufacturing operations. It offers three main AMR solutions: 1) “Locus Origin,” an AMR designed for collaborative, high-volume order fulfillment; 2) “Locus Vector,” designed to handle small to medium payloads; and 3) “Locus Max,” designed for larger payloads. The AMR solutions are backed by “LocusONE,” a warehouse automation platform that uses AI and data science to deploy and manage the AMRs. LocusONE also generates real-time actionable insights to support operational decisions. The AMRs allow integration with warehouse management systems and warehouse control systems. The company also offers warehouse automation solution “LocusEmpower,” which supports a range of fulfillment types including zone-picking, discrete order picking, batch picking, and wave picking. It also offers <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27481">"LocusHub,"</a> an AI/ML-powered cloud-based business intelligence engine grounded with LocusONE for advanced analytics.The company offers its products on a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) basis. In April 2024, Locus’s AMRs achieved the landmark of completing more than 3 billion unit picks.In September 2021, Locus Robotics acquired AMR provider Waypoint Robotics, which offers AMRs that are industrial-strength with omnidirectional mobility features, enabling Locus Robotics to gain access to new market segments. Key customers and partnershipsAs of May 2023, the company had deployed its technology at 250+ locations in partnership with 100+ brands. Its global customers include Ceva Logistics, Boots, Cardinal Health, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27443">GEODIS, </a>DHL, DSV, JAS, Ryder, UniPharma, UnitedDrug, Go Retail Group, Bluegrass Supply Chain, FM Logistics, UPS, UPS Healthcare, VF Corporation, <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27275">Booktopia,</a> <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27659">John Lewis &amp; Partners</a> and ​<a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/33695">​KSP Fulfillment</a>.In <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/30676">June 2024</a>, Locus Robotics entered a strategic partnership with Zion Solutions Group to integrate Locus's robotic solutions with Zion's supply chain solutions.Funding and financialsAs of November 2022, the company reported having USD 100 million+ in contracted recurring revenue.In November 2022, Locus Robotics <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14949?industryIds=6">raised USD 117 million </a>in Series F funding co-led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and G2 Venture Partners, valuing the company at “close to” USD 2 billion. The funds were to be used to facilitate the company’s continued growth and further expand global operations.

<div>
 
 Plus One Robotics develops a parcel-handling robotics platform powered by computer vision, AI, and supervised autonomy. Plus One Robotics&rsquo; product offering includes,
 
 
 1. 
 &ldquo;PickOne,''
 an AI-powered vision software developed to deliver precise hand-eye coordination for logistics robots. PickOne enables the automation of tasks such as induction, singulation, depalletizing, and packing in warehouse and distribution environments
 
 
 2. 
 &ldquo;Yonder,&rdquo;
 a &ldquo;Human-in-the-Loop&rdquo; remote supervisor software suite that enables employees to supervise the robotic fleet even from a remote setting, enhancing the capability of exception handling
 
 
 3. 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/27446">
 &ldquo;
 Individual Cup Control Gripper&rdquo; (ICC Gripper),
 </a>
 pitched as an induction solution and uses AI-powered software to pick and separate parcels using the optimal arrangement of suction cups
 
 
 4. 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/29177">
 &ldquo;InductOne,&rdquo;
 </a>
 an automated dual-arm robotic solution for optimizing the handling and induction of parcels in high-volume distribution centers and warehouses
 
 
 
 
 The company offers its products on a subscription-based robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) business model.
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 Plus One's customers are largely in the parcel post, logistics, and general merchandise industries, and include companies such as FedEx and MSC Industrial.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Plus One has a network of technology partners that includes system integrators as well as developers of fulfillment solutions and robotic automation solutions such as AWL, Applied Manufacturing Technologies, BOWE Intralogistics, BWDG, Calvary Robotics, Dero Group, EuroSort, Fameccanica, Fanuc, JR Automation, Locus Robots, MDCI Automation, Mission, Motion Control Robotics, NPSG Global, PSA Systems, Pearson Packaging Systems, Robex, Shape Technologies Group, Thompkins Robots, Yasakawa, and Zebra Technologies.
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In March 2023, Plus One raised USD 50 million in a Series C funding round, led by Scale Venture Partners, to invest in enhancing the capacity, scaling deployment, and increasing the company&rsquo;s sales and marketing efforts.
 
 
 
</div>

<div>
 
 Righthand Robotics develops &ldquo;RightPick,&rdquo; a software driven, robotic piece-picking solution for warehouse automation. The technology combines AI, machine learning, and computer vision with intelligent grippers to imitate human hand-eye coordination. The technology can be integrated into a wide range of workflows and processes to pick and place individual items. &ldquo;Right Pick&rdquo; is supported by its fleet management software &ldquo;RightPick Control Center,&rdquo; which provides remote access and visibility into the RightPick solutions deployed within the warehouses. Its product offering also includes &ldquo;RightCare,&rdquo; a service and support plan that is offered in conjunction with the RightPick AI software annual license agreement.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Its latest version, 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/25868">
 &ldquo;RightPick 4,&rdquo;
 </a>
 launched in January 2024, comes with with enhanced AI, sensor suite, and new hardware that allow the system to extend its item-picking range, handle items more efficiently, and enhance system autonomy.
 
 
 
 
 The company operates on a subscription-based robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) business model, and also offers buying options based on a capital investment model.
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 In March 2022, the company launched a
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9203?industryIds=6">
 
 partner integrator program
 </a>
 to complement its robotic piece-picking solutions with warehouse technologies and solution providers (partners included Element Logic, Vanderlande, Asetec, and Okamura).
 
 
 
 
 Its other partnerships include Tompkins Robotics (to combine Tompkins&rsquo; portable automated sortation system with RightPick; 2018), Element Logic (to launch a robotic piece-picking solution using RightPick&rsquo;s picking capabilities; March 2022), and Staples (to deploy RightPick in Staples' distribution and fulfillment network in the US; 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/26568">
 February 2024).
 </a>
 
 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/8697">
 February 2022
 </a>
 , the company raised USD 66 million in a Series C round led by Safar Partners, Thomas H. Lee Partners L.P., and SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The funds were expected to be used to accelerate product and business development, scale global presence by expanding its partner network, offices, and team to support its overall growth plans.
 
 
 
</div>

Using data and automation to achieve 24/7 production.

Smart Factory

<div>
 
 Locus Robotics provides autonomous warehouse robots, LocusBots, which can be reconfigured with any container and sensor. On the back end, it offers a robotics software to control and monitor the fleet of bots, LocusServer. Customers are able to subscribe (monthly subscription fee to be paid) and scale up their use of robots as required, on a Robots-as-a-Service basis. The company states that its solutions can increase productivity by 2x&ndash;3x and reduce overtime spent by 15%. It also claims its software can be integrated with any warehouse management or warehouse control system.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 The company opened new headquarters in the EU and was focused on launching strategic reseller partnerships and building its customer base. As of February 2021, Locus Robotics served over 40 customers, including UPS, DHL, Boots UK, Geodis, Verst Logistics, and CEVA Logistics, and had deployed around 4,000 robots across 80 sites, with approximately 80% of its deployments in the US and the remainder in Europe. The company revealed that it exceeded the half-a-billion picking milestone by October 2021 (more than 300 million units picked as of February 2021) with LocusBots picking almost two million items daily.
 
 
 
 
 Locus Robotics acquired AMR provider Waypoint Robotics (September 2021), which offers AMRs that are industrial-strength with omnidirectional mobility features, enabling Locus Robotics to gain access to new market segments. This acquisition will expand the Locus product line of AMR solutions that focus on use cases from ecommerce, case-picking, and pallet-picking to those that require heavier payloads and fulfillment modalities.
 
 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22353">
 In October 2023
 </a>
 ,&nbsp; Locus Robotics extended its AMR warehouse automation solution to customers in Italy and Poland, increasing its presence in Europe. These products are available on a subscription-based robotics-as-a-service model. 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23242">
 It also extended to Central America
 </a>
 by making its first AMR deployment in Mexicali, Mexico at the fulfillment warehouse of lifestyle brand, Solo Brands.
 
 
 
 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/22353">
 In October 2023
 </a>
 ,&nbsp; Locus Robotics extended its AMR warehouse automation solution to customers in Italy and Poland, increasing its presence in Europe. These products are available on a subscription-based robotics-as-a-service model. 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23242">
 It also extended to Central America
 </a>
 by making its first AMR deployment in Mexicali, Mexico at the fulfillment warehouse of lifestyle brand, Solo Brands.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 
 
 In November 2022, Locus Robotics 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/14949?industryIds=6">
 raised USD 117 million
 </a>
 in Series F funding led by Goldman Sachs Asset Management and G2 Venture Partners, valuing the company at &ldquo;close to&rdquo; USD 2 billion. The company previously raised USD 50 million in additional funding (series E round) from return investor Tiger Global Management in September 2021. The funds were used to facilitate the company&rsquo;s continued growth and further expand global operations.&nbsp;
 
 
 
</div>

Empowering efficiency, visibility and collaboration throughout supply networks

Supply Chain Tech

FourKites is a supply chain visibility platform that offers solutions to enhance the efficiency and transparency of global supply chains through supply chain visibility and predictive analytics. As of October 2023, the company claimed that it tracked over 3 million global shipments every day through its platform, giving users real-time data with a single source of truth. The platform was also extended to a network of global carriers, which amounted to over 490,000, as of October 2023, and hundreds of transport management systems driving network collaboration across the world.As of October 2023, the company had built a presence in the US, the Netherlands, India, and Germany, claiming that it served over 1,200 of the world’s most recognized brands. This included 18 of the top 20 food and beverage companies and nine of the top 10 consumer packaged goods companies. The company’s platform is catered toward industries such as retail, logistics, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and oil and gas.Key customers and partnershipsAs of October 2023, FourKites' customer portfolio included leading brands such as Best Buy, Dow, Kraft Heinz, Walmart Canada, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Eastman, Bayer, Abbott, and Orvis.In August 2024, FourKites <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/32701">introduced</a> a new suite of solutions known as YardWorks in partnership with AI solutions provider EAIGLE. The new solution reportedly allows facilities managers to execute their tasks more efficiently by automating supply chain processes. Also, In April 2024, the company <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/28180">partnered</a> with BuyCo, a container shipping platform, to streamline shipping operations and enhance visibility in the container shipping process. The partnership aimed to deliver an integrated solution enabling shippers to handle all container shipping operations and gain real-time, efficient, end-to-end visibility of their supply chains.&nbsp;

Reinventing how computers think based on biological neural networks

Neuromorphic Computing

Neurala is a Boston-based artificial intelligence company specializing in vision AI technology for industrial inspections. The company's flagship product, Visual Inspection Automation (VIA) software, leverages deep learning to detect anomalies and defects in products, even those with natural variations. This capability allows manufacturers to scale production, reduce waste, and adapt to workforce changes while maintaining high levels of quality control. Neurala's proprietary Lifelong-Deep Neural Network (L-DNN) technology forms the core of their solutions, offering a cost-effective vision AI tool that can be retrofitted into existing production line infrastructure without the need for AI experts or expensive capital expenditures. The company provides flexibility in deploying vision AI models, allowing customers to implement solutions either in the cloud or on-premise to meet specific business needs.
Neurala's technology goes beyond traditional machine vision capabilities, offering enhanced anomaly detection that can improve inspection rates and decrease human intervention. The VIA software is compatible with any GigE camera and mid-range industrial PC, making it accessible to a wide range of manufacturers. In January 2022, Neurala introduced an industry-first AI explainability feature, designed specifically for industrial and manufacturing applications. This technology helps packaging manufacturers improve quality inspections by accurately identifying objects in an image that are causing particular problems or anomalies, providing more actionable insights and allowing end-users to differentiate between true anomalies and false positives resulting from environmental conditions.
Key customers and partnerships
Neurala's solutions cater to various industries, including packaging manufacturers who use the VIA software to identify defects in packaging on production lines. The company's technology has been applied in diverse fields, from consumer electronics to security applications. In May 2017, Neurala partnered with the Lindbergh Foundation to combat poaching in Africa using intelligent drones equipped with their deep learning software. This initiative demonstrated the versatility of Neurala's technology in addressing critical environmental challenges. The company's AI solutions have been integrated into devices such as security cameras and drones, enabling them to perform complex recognition tasks in real-time and continuously improve their functionality post-deployment.

Making cold chains faster, smarter, and cooler.

Cold Chain Innovation

FourKites is a supply chain visibility platform that provides real-time tracking and insights for global shipments. The company's technology leverages data from millions of daily global shipments, combining it with enterprise data and applying patented artificial intelligence to offer comprehensive visibility across the entire supply chain. FourKites tracks 3 million shipments daily, covering over 62 billion miles annually, and captures 150+ unique data points at every geolocation update. The platform integrates with existing enterprise systems such as ERP, TMS, and WMS to provide a unified view of inventory, shipments, orders, and facilities.
FourKites' suite of applications includes transportation and order visibility, yard management, and appointment setting. The company's Fin AI, the FourKites Intelligence Network, is a natural language interface that helps users tackle supply chain challenges by surfacing insights, identifying optimization opportunities, and automating tasks. FourKites' platform is designed to mitigate risks, improve responsiveness, and enhance decision-making across the supply chain. The technology aims to eliminate silos and conflicting information by connecting data points from first to final mile.
Key customers and partnerships
FourKites serves a diverse range of industries, with notable customers including C&S Wholesale Grocers, 3 million, Pixelle, Michaels, and Kraft Heinz. C&S Wholesale Grocers used FourKites to create a digital twin of their supply chain, resulting in a 65% reduction in transportation-related customer service calls within four months. During the Covid-19 pandemic, 3 million leveraged FourKites to manage the delivery of critical N95 masks. Pixelle, a paper and packaging corporation, reported a nearly 50% reduction in track-and-trace emails after implementing FourKites. Michaels consolidated its supply chain management into a centralized control tower using FourKites, achieving 91% load tracking and improved on-time delivery. Kraft Heinz utilized FourKites to optimize shipments to food banks in partnership with Feeding America.

Plus One Robotics develops a parcel-handling robotics platform for logistics applications. Plus One's intelligent solutions combine computer vision, AI, and supervised autonomy to pick parcels for the Global 100's leading logistics and e-commerce companies. Plus One's AI-powered software determines the precise movement of millions of SKUs in routine tasks like sortation and depalletizing. Plus One focuses on logistics application development and logistics robot deployment for material handling tasks in warehouses and distribution centers.

RightHand Robotics provides end-to-end solutions that reduce the cost of e-commerce order-fulfillment of electronics, apparel, grocery. Their robots grasp a wide variety of items from bins and cases. Their core technology enables them to do this automatically without laborious data entry or parameter-tuning — so they are inexpensive to set up and flexible to the changing needs of businesses. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Neurala is the company behind The Neurala Brain—deep learning neural network software that makes smart products like cameras, robots, drones, toys and self-driving cars more autonomous and useful. Unlike traditional AI companies, which designed for super computers connected to the Internet, our first project was for NASA to be used for autonomous planetary exploration. Super computers were not available. Battery life was limited. Fast internet access was impossible. Our deep learning neural networks had to be lightweight and perform in real-time without ground intervention.  With our constraints, we modeled the Neurala Brain on animal brains because animal brains are highly efficient “computers” that do more in less space and with less power consumption than the computers we use today.  The brain also knows how to use eyes (cameras) and ears (microphones).  This approach worked and we are now bringing The Neurala Brain to market.  Our smart, fast, anywhere brain works on systems from single board computers to large servers.

FourKites is a supply chain visibility platform that extends visibility beyond transportation into yards, warehouses, stores, and beyond. Tracking 3 million shipments daily across road, rail, ocean, air, parcel, and courier, and reaching 210 countries and territories, FourKites combines real-time data and powerful machine learning to help companies digitize their end-to-end supply chains. More than 1,500 of the world’s most recognized brands — including 9 of the top-10 CPG and 18 of the top-20 food and beverage companies — trust FourKites to transform their business and create more agile, efficient, and sustainable supply chains.

Locus Robotics manufactures autonomous, mobile robots to support e-commerce for retailers and warehouse logistics providers. Its technology works collaboratively alongside workers to dramatically improve order productivity and increase fulfillment speed and throughput 2X-3X with near-perfect order accuracy, to ensure that consumers receive their orders as quickly and accurately as possible. It was founded in 2014 and headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts.

Fetch Robotics is a San Jose, California-based industrial robotics startup that develops and manufactures collaborative, autonomous mobile robot solutions for the warehousing and logistical markets. It takes advantage of its deep robotics expertise to provide reliable and safe collaborative AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) solutions for two commercial applications: material handling and data collection. Fetch Robotics is a venture-backed Silicon Valley startup founded in 2014.

Tagnos offers the leading clinical logistics automation solution for hospitals and clinics. Their SaaS platform analyzes data from clinical systems, including EHR, CPOE, LIS, RIS, and ADT systems, along with RTLS tracking devices, to facilitate patient flow through the hospital. The insights produced by their AI algorithms help healthcare organizations optimize their staff and asset utilization to prevent bottlenecks, reduce wait times and improve throughput, while increasing patient and staff satisfaction.

GoCanvas is a mobile platform that makes it simple for any business to automate how work is done, replacing outdated processes and expensive paperwork. The GoCanvas App works on all smartphones and tablets, helping companies easily collect information across their organization, share it instantly with others, and gain real-time insights on their business operations. It was founded in 2008 and headquartered in Reston, Virginia.

Intelli-Vision is the market leader in Intelligent Video Analytics Software.  Intelli-Vision is the market leader and innovator in providing “Video Intelligence and Smart Cameras with Analytics.” Offering unique patented technology for video analytics processing, searching, video data mining, and analyzing vast amounts of real-time or stored video on a device or in the Cloud, IntelliVision has been recognized as the “Brains Behind the Eyes” for many camera applications.

Profitect’s Profit Amplification software, a pattern-seeking solution, enables retailers to quickly realize increased revenue and reduced costs across the entire retail supply chain.  Profit Amplification pattern-seeking algorithms can “tell a story” by identifying the root cause of anomalies such as inventory distortion, on-shelf availability, shrink/waste/damage, or process non-compliance – helping retailers minimize the effort necessary to identify controllable factors which the solution translates into action.  As a result, retailers can move quickly to prevent profit leakage at all levels of the organization, ultimately improving business processes and the top and bottom line.

Gimbal develops and delivers mobile contextual awareness platform and solutions to enhance mobile engagement. Using its own hardware and software, Gimbal enables brands, media agencies, and marketers to improve their campaigns with personalized messaging and drive measurable business outcomes. The company offers Gimbal, a geofencing and analytics platform; AdSynergy, AdKit, AdCast, AdScore, AudienceArchitect, for mobile media campaigns; people and proximity platform, such as Gimbal Manager, GeoFences, and Location SDK, for cloud-based location management; and Bluetooth smart beacons with iBeacon technology.

Revionics, Inc. offers lifecycle price, promotion, and markdown optimization solutions for the retail industry. The companyâ€™s suite enables product pricing and temporary price reduction management. It also offers price modeling, optimization on-demand, scenario forecasting, and advanced category analytics services. In addition, the company provides price strategy formation, store-to-zone clustering analysis, and consulting services.   Revionics, Inc. was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Roseville, California.

B2M Solutions™ Elemez Enterprise Mobility Intelligence® Software provides the real-time monitoring and measurement required to proactively find and fix issues with enterprise mobile devices and applications.  Unlike other mobility management solutions from MDM, EMM, and TEMS vendors, Elemez monitors and measures mobile devices, apps, and data usage in real-time to find the large numbers of problems which go unreported each month to IT and negatively impact workers’ ability to use mobile devices and apps to do their jobs daily. With Elemez, enterprises and the service providers who support them finally have the tools they are missing to: 1. Eliminate trouble tickets and end-user problems. 2. Shorten the length of time to find and resolve issues related to mobile device / app performance. 3. Improve uptime of mobile assets in the field. 4. Understand and easily report on daily usage of devices, apps and data plans. 5. Maximize the ROI of Mobile Investments.

LifeMed ID develops an authoritative identity management platform designed to offer accurate patient identification. They provide solutions for temp screening, access management, patient identification, authentication tokens, mobile testing optimization, and remote patient monitoring enablement.

Displaydata is the leader in the design and supply of fully graphic Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs). We were first to market with three-colour ESLs and continue to lead this category, having shipped millions of labels. We work in close partnership with many of the world’s largest retail brands and have operations in the US, Europe, LATAM and Asia. We help retailers optimise revenues and margins by improving the customer experience at the shelf-edge, where most purchasing decisions are made.

A wireless expense management and telecom expense management firm specializing in reducing communications costs using proprietary software and expert analysts. Visage Mobile handles everything from bill analysis across multiple carriers, to fully managed wireless and wireline services.

GainSpan brings Ultra-low-power Wi-Fi to sensors and embedded applications. The company's semiconductor solutions break new ground in Wi-Fi applications by enabling years of battery life for Wi-Fi sensors and other devices.  In September of 2006, a core team of engineers and thought leaders spun off from Intel Corporation to form Emphany Systems, later GainSpan. The vision was simple... enable and accelerate the adoption of new wireless usage models for sensor network applications using an existing widely deployed standard technology.  The challenge was daunting... while wireless sensor networks have seen steady growth over the past few years, their market potential has, in fact, been hindered by power consumption issues and lack of mature standards based solutions.  The solution was innovative... new Wi-Fi semiconductor and software solutions that enable sensors and other devices to run up to 10 years on a single AA battery. This allows users to leverage the global Wi-Fi infrastructure, existing tools and knowledge investments, for new applications such as temperature monitoring for energy management, condition monitoring of industrial equipment in manufacturing plants or streetlights in metro areas.

Scanbuy provides cloud-based mobile connection solutions and a platform to generate, manage, and measure intelligent barcode campaigns.   The company’s mobile engagement platform provides tools to track the performance of campaigns with various features, including mobile website builder, surveys, mobile web pages, specialized branding, designer QR codes, and many others. It offers mVision Insights, a tool that provides clients with access to marketing engagement activities; mPromo, a mobile offer service that helps clients bring in new businesses; mTargeting, a solution that organizes customers into neat groups with common interests; mPackaging that allows clients to convert the UPC or EAN barcode on various packages; and software development tools.   Scanbuy’s mobile engagement suite empowers brands, retailers, and marketers to create, manage, and deliver personalized tailored experiences directly to consumer smartphones; and platform enables the delivery of coupons, product information, videos, websites, social networking, surveys, e-commerce, and more. It offers its applications for Android and iOS devices.   Scanbuy was founded in 2000 and is based in New York, United States with additional offices in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, France, Israel, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

RF Controls is uniquely positioned to usher in the Internet of Everything era. Founded in 2006 in St. Louis, the company’s revolutionary antenna technology allows for previously unforeseen advances in RFID technology by eliminating barriers to end user adoption while reducing infrastructure costs.  RF Controls’ smart antenna hardware and software enables application of passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID in real time location systems (RTLS). RF Controls’ bi-directional electronic steerable phased array antennas, which are core components of its Intelligent Tracking and Control System (ITCS®), use patented antenna technology to send a signal to a passive RFID tag, excite the tag (wake it up), and capture and read data from the tag. RF Controls real-time location systems are the only products in the world capable of tracking UHF passive RFID tags in real time, with accuracy of 12 inches.  RF Controls has been awarded a foundational patent for its Intelligent Tracking and Control System. ITCS is best classified as a wide area RTLS  because ITCS provides much more than just tag identification data. By installing ITCS “smart antennas,” end users can illuminate an area (or volume) in which tagged items move or are stored, and achieve real-time, perpetual monitoring of an entire warehouse or retail floor. ITCS solves the fundamental business process problem of automatically and accurately locating arbitrarily placed tagged items without the spurious read problems inherent to other RFID systems.    RF Controls recently announced a joint venture with Stanley Black & Decker, View Technologies LLC.  Stanley Black & Decker is providing manufacturing, sales, marketing, installation, software and administrative services to the joint venture while RF Controls, in addition to ongoing scientific development, is providing an exclusive global license to its suite of groundbreaking bi-directional, steerable phased array fixed antenna systems.

Zebra Ventures is the strategic investment arm of Zebra Technologies. Zebra Ventures brings the discipline of a financial investor and the value of a strategic partner. Zebra Ventures invests in early stage companies that represent a true partnership and extend Zebra's vision of Enterprise Asset Intelligence to improve productivity and the customer experience in the retail, transportation and logistics, warehousing and manufacturing, and healthcare verticals that the company serves.  Working closely with its portfolio companies, Zebra Ventures provides venture capital to sustain a business through the startup, growth, and expansion phases. Perhaps more importantly, Zebra Ventures brings deep domain expertise, unique access to its engineering resources, and a vast distribution network to help portfolio companies deliver on their growth initiatives.

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