Alantra advised 5D Robotics on its sale to Humatics
SECTORTechnology; Industrials
ServiceM&A
Alantra has advised 5D Robotics, Inc., a leader in the development of sensor and positioning technology, and its subsidiary Time Domain, on the sale to Humatics, a high-growth company that develops microlocation solutions. No financial terms were disclosed.
With over 100 patents in Ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning, radar and autonomy, 5D’s technology is critical for several key IoT (Internet of Things) markets such as industrial automation, next-generation construction, autonomous vehicles, and smart cities. Humatics was founded by CEO David Mindell (a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor and chair of MIT’s Work of the Future Task Force) and President Gary Cohen, a technology industry veteran, and funded by leading venture and strategic investors that include Fontinalis Partners, Lockheed Martin and Airbus. The combined company will be the leader in microlocation technology, providing sensors and software that measure the position of objects in three-dimensional space with unprecedented, millimeter-scale precision.
“We have a passion for precision. We’ve always been the state-of-the-art RF solution, providing our customers with centimeter-scale accuracy. But Humatics takes that to the next level—we’re now millimeter scale. The team is thrilled with this acquisition, and we’re already hard at work advancing the combined technology,” commented Rachel Reinhardt, senior leader at 5D Robotics.
Mindell commented: “At Humatics we’ve been focusing our development work on industrial automation applications. With the acquisition, we’re now positioned as a key enabler for next-generation construction, autonomous vehicles, and smart cities. With Humatics products, people, robots, and infrastructure can locate, navigate, and collaborate – with robust precision – to create extraordinary value in the connected world.”
“As their technology and go to market focus are extremely complimentary, 5D and Humatics are a perfect match,” said John Emery, Head of Alantra’s Technology group. “While we had interest in 5D from much larger strategic acquirers, the company’s shareholders believed Humatics was the best fit for its team and technology platform. We look forward to working with more high growth companies in this fast growing sector of the IoT market,” he concluded.
