Founders: Romain Moulin (CEO), Renaud Heitz
Launched: 2015
Headquarters: Croix, France
Funding: $450 million
Valuation: $2 billion
Key technologies: Robotics
Industry: Logistics
Previous appearances on Disruptor 50 List: 2 (No. 11 in 2023)
While many of the supply chain snags that roiled the logistics industry in recent years have faded, one issue continues to be a thorn in the side of warehouses across the globe: finding labor to work in them to meet the ever-increasing demand for fast delivery and fulfillment.
That has driven the push into automation, an area where Exotec has become one of the leaders. The French company, which has investors that include Goldman Sachs and Dell Technologies Capital, provides warehouse robotics and systems to companies like Carrefour, Gap and Uniqlo.
Demand for Exotec robotics led to growth in its global headcount of 80% in 2023. The company also opened a new facility in France to help produce one of its newer offerings, Skypath, which is a conveyor system that applies robotics capabilities. The company also rolled out a new proprietary warehouse execution system.
At the core of all its warehouse automation is the Skypod, a technology designed by company founders Romain Moulin and Renaud Heitz, who were working at General Electric Medical on medical robot features prior to founding Exotec. A robotic order preparation system, Skypod uses robots that can move in three dimensions upwards of 39 feet, enabling high-density storage and retrieval.
In March, Exotec announced that it had sold more than $1 billion in systems globally since its founding in 2015, which it says makes it one of the fastest materials handling companies to reach that milestone. That's been aided by more recent global expansion into markets like Eastern Europe and South Korea, as well as additional growth in markets like North America.
While there has been some contraction in the logistics industry as companies slow down investments into supply chains and technology, Exotec says its focus on research and development has helped it continue to grow.
"We are reinventing an industry that has historically relied on legacy automation that is static to business fluctuations, hard to maintain and expensive to integrate," Moulin said in a press release announcing its sales milestone. "Our continued growth is proof that flexibility and reliable performance are paramount for supply chain leaders everywhere."
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