Tuesday, February 12, 2019

FLIR Buys Endeavor Robotics

Wilsonville, Oregon-based sensor maker FLIR Systems said on Monday that it has acquired Endeavor Robotics, a developer of robots used by the military to disable roadside bombs and clear improvised explosive devices (IEDs). FLIR said it will pay $385M in cash for Endeavor, which was owned by Arlington Capital Partners. Endeavor's flagship product is known as the PackBot. According to FLIR Systems, more than 4,000 of Endeavor's PackBot product have been shipped since 2002. FLIR said the acquisition--along with an earlier acquisition of Aeryon Labs--helps it by significantly expanding its unmanned systems capabilities Endeavor was based in Boston, and previously was a part of iRobot, the robot maker best known for the Roomba. Endeavor had spun out of iRobot under the name iRobot Defense & Security.