OTTO Motors

OTTO Motors (a division of Clearpath Robotics), founded in Canada, offers self-driving vehicles to move materials in manufacturing and warehousing facilities. The company provides fleet management software to control productivity and aftercare services. It developed its autonomous mobile robot (AMR) to help manufacturers outsource the lower-value tasks to robots, enabling employees to shift their focus to more high-value tasks. In October 2022, OTTO released a software that improves the speed and predictability of its AMRs.

In September 2023 , OTTO Motors introduced the OTTO 1200, an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) engineered for heavy-duty material handling tasks within limited spaces. This robot has a payload capacity of 1,200 kg (2,640 lb) and places a strong emphasis on safety. It comes with an IP54 rating, indicating its resistance to dust and water, making it versatile for applications like inbound material handling, finished goods transportation, and lineside delivery. 

Key customers and partnerships

The company’s customer base was initially from the automotive and transportation industries. It works with six of the 10 original equipment manufacturers and has successfully expanded into the healthcare and medical industries. As of June 2020, more than 70% of the AMRs installed by OTTO were in Fortune Global 500 companies, including GE, Toyota, Nestlé, and Berry Global. 

OTTO’s partners include YASKAWA Motoman, integrating Motoman robotic arms mounted on OTTO self-driving vehicles, and Applied Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) (a provider of systems integration and robotic transport solutions), offering material transporting and handling solutions. OTTO partnered with Japanese trading company Altech (February 2020) to expand its operations in the Japanese market after expansion in Canada and the US. OTTO partnered with Ultimation Industries, a conveyor manufacturing company serving clients throughout the Americas (May 2021) to include OTTO’s robots among its full line of material handling solutions.

In June 2021, the company announced a series of new global partnerships, extending its AMR product line to a wider audience. The company also successfully completed third-party assessments to demonstrate that its products meet or exceed all relevant safety standards in the US and Europe, one of which OTTO also helped define. OTTO partnered with DesignPro Automation (a European provider of precision automation, robotics, and machine build services), Romias Robotics (a European provider of customized robotic automation systems), and global integrator partner Grenzebach Group (a provider of production automation technologies). The company expanded its global partnership program by establishing partnerships with system integrators and tech companies, including Bastian Solutions (Global), Altech (Japan), ADDE (Australia), CR Automation (New Zealand), and Pulse Integration (North America). It also opened new warehousing operations in the Netherlands and Japan. In September 2022, OTTO appointed UK-based Guidance Automation, a developer of guidance, navigation, and control technologies, as the first reseller of OTTO Motors' AMRs in the UK. 

OTTO partnered with printing and packaging automation solutions provider Significans Automation (September 2021) to offer an end-to-end solution to the printing and packaging industry in the Americas. As of September 2023, both companies were also collaborating on a new technology (an intelligent, flexible, and scalable material-handling system integrated with AMRs) designed to meet specific business requirements. OTTO partnered with Siemens Canada (October 2021), a division of industrial automation and systems integration solutions provider Siemens AG. Siemens’ controllers and physical asset tracking tech using Real Time Location Systems (RTLS) will be integrated with OTTO fleets to enhance productivity and ROI while increasing safety, locating AMRs and other assets with up to 30 cm accuracy. In May 2022, OTTO partnered with Ek Robotics, a provider of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for production and warehouse logistics based in the UK, to integrate its AMR software with Ek Robotics’ transport robots. In April 2023, the company partnered with Kollmorgen Automation to jointly explore capabilities to provide innovative solutions to their combined customer base and global material-handling market. In May 2023, OTTO Motors announced the launch of a certified dealer program to offer technical support to its customer base in North America.

Funding and financials  

The company’s most recent funding round was Series C funding worth USD 29 million in June 2020, led by Kensington Capital Partners Limited. The funds were to be used to broaden its global delivery partner network and expand its AMR platform to more enterprise customers.