Rebl Industries, a Swedish robotics company, announced Tuesday it has inked partnerships with Ikea and H&M to deploy warehouse robotics for the two companies.
Rebl operates a robots-as-a-service business, which means that companies deploying its technology pay a fee for the continued use of the robots without having to outright purchase them. That approach can be advantageous as technology continues to proliferate at a rapid clip; purchasing robots can be expensive and difficult to scale because their capabilities can quickly become outdated—or because they’re difficult to integrate into existing systems or to use in collaboration with other robots not made by the same company.
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According to the robotics company, H&M has been deploying its robots in its Nordic warehouse based in Sweden since last year. Rebl said that the test yielded “positive results, improving production predictability and efficiency.” The newly signed contract indicates the company’s continued interest in building out automated warehouse capabilities, and Rebl noted that it expects to see additional H&M warehouses adopting its solutions in the near future.
In tandem with its contract announcements, Rebl noted that it has appointed its first external CEO, Nicholas Tengelin, to help speed up its globalization aspirations. Tengelin’s prior leadership roles were primarily in the automotive and logistics spaces, including with Volvo, Hedin Mobility Group and Hogia. Tengelin said
“We are excited to partner with global companies like H&M and IKEA. Our AI-powered robots quickly integrate into warehouse operations, helping to reduce repetitive tasks for employees and increase overall efficiency. This game-changing technology opens up new automation opportunities for industries that previously could not leverage robotics,” Tengelin said in a translated statement.
The Gothenburg, Sweden-headquartered company was founded in 2018, and its proprietary robots, which it calls Workmates, can be trained for tasks in a variety of industries. In warehousing, some common robot-assisted tasks include palletization, unloading pallets and picking products. Before Rebl sends its Workmates into a client’s warehouse, it trains the robots in its automation studio and makes modifications for the requested service.
According to the company’s website, its palletization systems use 3D scanning and algorithms that analyze data and identify patterns in order to stack incoming goods as needed. The robot can handle between 350 and 500 parcels hourly weighing about 77 pounds or less. Its depalletization system leverages vision systems and artificial intelligence—often integrated into robotic applications today—to handle as many as 1,300 parcels hourly; like the palletization robot, it can handle parcels that weigh as much as 77 pounds. Its inventory-picking robots are designed for picking products one at a time for automated sortation or direct customer order fulfillment. Unlike the palletization robots, the picking robots are designed to lift parcels or items that weigh about 11 pounds or less.
Rebl’s announcement did not disclose exactly which functions it has been contracted to provide for H&M and Ikea.
E-commerce’s adoption of warehouse automation technology continues to rise. According to projections from market insights platform Statzon, the value of the global warehouse robotics market is expected to hit about $9.8 billion by the end of 2025; more than one-quarter of that value—about $2.7 billion—is projected to come from e-commerce use cases for warehouse robots.
Rebl seems interested in grabbing a piece of that market; while Ikea and H&M are both Swedish companies, the robotics player has expressed interest in continuing to build its customer base globally.
Alexander Westerling, co-founder of Rebl, said the contracts with two major e-commerce players and the announcement of a new CEO function as strong starting points toward that goal.
“This is just the beginning. [Tengelin’s] arrival is a critical step in building a leading robotics hub and expanding our solutions globally. With his leadership, our talented team and strong partnerships, Rebl Industries is well-positioned to make a significant impact on warehouse robotics,” Westerling said in a statement.
