DC Velocity - December 2018

24 DC VELOCITY DECEMBER 2018 www.dcvelocity.com newsworthy

newsmakers

E-commerce software and consulting firm enVista has hired Suneel Krishnaswamy as chief technology officer to lead development and product direction for all enVista software, including the company’s multitenant unified commerce cloud platform. … Wildeck Inc., a manufacturer of mezzanine platforms, vertical lifts, material lifts, and safety guarding equipment, has welcomed Daniel Lorenz as its new vice president of operations.

… Conveyor manufacturer Dorner has
named Carlos Cassaretto sales manag-
er for the Dorner Latin America divi-
sion. … Logistics and fulfillment solutions
provider MonarchFx, a business unit of
Tompkins International, has appointed
Matthew Sinn vice president of its food
and beverage sector. … Mark Baker has
joined transportation and logistics ser-
vices company Pilot Freight Services in the newly creat-
ed role of chief technology officer. … Dave Halker has
joined conveyor systems manufacturer S&H Systems as
director of business development. … UPS has appoint-
ed Romaine Seguin president of UPS
Global Freight Forwarding, where she
will oversee air, ocean, and rail freight
forwarding as well as brokerage and sup-
plier management for all of the countries
and territories UPS serves worldwide.
… Truckload and logistics services giant

Schneider National Inc. has announced that Chris Lofgren will retire as president and CEO in April 2019. Mark Rourke, the company’s executive vice president and COO, will succeed Lofgren, becoming Schneider’s fourth president and CEO in its 84-year history. … Barry Pottle, CEO of Bangor, Maine-based Pottle’s Transportation, has been elected to serve as the American Trucking Associations’ 74th chairman. …

Ifco, a supplier of reusable plastic containers for fresh food transport, has appointed Jon Heyler vice president of operations for Ifco North America. … Third-party logistics company Ceva Logistics has appointed Rich Oleson vice president, global healthcare contract logistics. … Terminal operator and stevedoring company Metro Ports has promoted David Parrott to vice president of operations for the U.S. Gulf Coast, East Coast, and Great Lakes regions. … Swisslog Logistics Automation Americas, a provider of automated warehouse equipment and software, has named David Schwebel vice president of business development and market intelligence.

CASSARETTO
SEGUIN
LORENZ

Chinese warehouse robotics developer Geek+ has landed a whopping $150 million investment from private equity firm Warburg Pincus LLC and plans to use the money to expand international sales of its artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled logistics robots for applications in warehousing, logistics, and manufacturing, the firm said.

The series B funding round was led by New York-based Warburg Pincus, with participation from Volcanics Venture and Vertex Ventures. This brings Warburg Pincus’s total investment in Geek+ to date to approximately $100 million.

The deal is the latest example of venture capitalists writing large checks to logistics robotics companies. Other examples include Locus Robotics and Fetch Robotics Inc., which each landed $25 million in funding in 2017. The list for 2018 includes InVia Robotics Inc. ($20 million), CommonSense Robotics ($20 million), and 6 River Systems Inc. ($25 million) and notably, GreyOrange Pte. Ltd., which netted $140 million in September.

Beijing-based Geek+ plans to use the funds to grow its business by more than five times this year, Geek+ founder and CEO Yong Zheng said in a statement.

To date, Geek+ has delivered more than 5,000 robots and implemented over 100 robotics warehouse projects for customers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Europe, and the U.S. Companies using the robots include firms in the e-commerce, logistics, automotive, and pharmaceutical sectors, according to Geek+.

The firm says its technology integrates robotics, AI, big data, cloud computing, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to provide intelligent robotics solutions and one-stop supply chain services. Together, those ingredients drive logistics solutions, including goods-to-person picking, intelligent moving and sorting, and automated forklifts.

“Technology is revolutionizing supply chain,” Jericho Zhang, executive director of Warburg Pincus, said in a release. “Geek+ is one of the leading technology companies that is able to combine robotics, big data, AI, and other cutting-edge technologies to solve the pain points of the traditional supply chain. As it accumulates more data and continues to optimize algorithms and expand into other industries, we are confident that Geek+ will continue to lead the revolution and innovation in the space.”