Technology company Agile Robots has taken a majority stake in autonomous mobile robot (AMR) maker idealworks, a BMW Group subsidiary, ahead of a planned expansion into the Asia-Pacific region.

BMW Group founded idealworks in 2020 and the unit has created intelligent automation platform AnyFleet, the AMR iw.hub and the mobile robotics operating system iw.os.

Agile Robots AG, a spin-off of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), produces robotic-based solutions for the automotive and consumer electronic industries.

Agile Robots’ investment was made within a Series A financing round. The terms and conditions of the investment were not disclosed.

BMW Group head of production network and logistics Dr Michael Nikolaides says: “Since 2020, over 600 iw.hubs have already been successfully implemented in the BMW Group’s intralogistics work processes.

“Together with Agile Robots AG, idealworks will further expand its robotics ecosystem to promote new and innovative solutions in the field of industrial automation — both in the software and hardware sectors.”

Agile Robots chief executive officer Dr Zhaopeng Chen says: “We will combine German innovation and engineering expertise with the speed, global reach and entrepreneurial vision that both companies have already demonstrated in the past.”

Following the first successfully completed customer projects in the United States, idealworks’ global business will expand to the Asia-Pacific region as early as next year.