US robotics firm Gecko Robotics plans UAE manufacturing within a year - Salam and update
Assalamu alaikum - US-based tech company Gecko Robotics says it hopes to begin making robots in the UAE by next year after signing agreements with local organisations, its co-founder and CEO told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
The firm, which says it’s valued at about $1.25 billion, is looking at expanding its UAE offices and hiring more local staff as part of three deals with state energy group Adnoc and other Emirati partners, Jake Loosararian said. Manufacturing of robots in the UAE is expected to start “within the next year,” he added.
Gecko signed contracts covering robotics, AI-driven analytics and joint training programmes with Adnoc Gas, AIQ and Adnoc Technical Academy. Loosararian said the company will seek local partners to speed up production, though for some specialised technology they may build their own facility.
Most of their robots are currently produced in the US and then sent abroad, but this kind of contract makes it likely production will happen outside the US too. For regional projects Gecko will use a separate UAE-based entity to comply with local rules and security requirements.
Adnoc has been using Gecko’s robots for about 18 months, the CEO noted. The company’s wall-climbing robots use special sensors to find damage that’s hard to spot, helping with accurate repairs and predictive maintenance. The new agreements give Adnoc access to updated software and capabilities.
Gecko closed a series D funding round in June - raising $125 million from investors including Cox Enterprises and other continuing backers - and for now the company does not plan an IPO. “We won’t really think about an IPO for the next couple years,” Loosararian said. “We’re just focused on delivering results and we’ll scale privately as needed.”
The company is also in talks with other energy firms in the region as it seeks to scale up robotics manufacturing and supply locally. “The business has a good amount of revenue, so we’re putting the capital we raised into scaling. Scaling is the big thing right now,” he said.
Jazakum Allahu khairan for reading - it’s interesting to see more advanced manufacturing and training happening here in the UAE, and hopefully it will create good opportunities for local engineers and technicians.
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