Zoho has announced the acquisition of Asimov Robotics, a 13-year-old robotics startup, as part of its growing focus on deeptech and research and development. While the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, the move marks Zoho’s second major investment in the robotics space, following its INR 20 crore investment in Genrobotics in May 2022.
Founded in 2012, Asimov Robotics provides robotic solutions for industries dealing with hazardous, repetitive, and inefficient tasks. The startup, supported by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), will continue its research and development activities under Zoho’s mentorship.
“This association has empowered us to explore new horizons and to become a global brand. I’m feeling incredibly motivated to stretch my limits for making this dream come true,” said Jayakrishnan T, founder of Asimov Robotics, on the acquisition.
Alongside the acquisition, Zoho has partnered with KSUM to launch a deeptech product studio. The initiative is aimed at bringing together startups and organisations focused on deeptech research and product development.
As part of this push, Zoho has formed R&D partnerships with several companies and institutions, including Boson Motors, Vipus Advanced Materials, vTitan, Zentron Labs, Verdant Telemetry & Antenna Systems, Netrasemi, Genrobotics, Energy 24by7, and IIT Bombay. According to Zoho, these collaborations will involve working on specific R&D projects and promoting knowledge sharing across various areas.
The announcements were made during the opening of Zoho’s new office in Kottarakkara, Kerala, which will serve as a hub for R&D efforts in AI and robotics. “Our Kottarakkara office will be dedicated to enhancing our R&D projects in various fields starting with AI and robotics. Apart from our own work in these fields, we also will be collaborating with like-minded deeptech organisations to further amplify our efforts,” said Zoho cofounder and CEO Shailesh Davey.
Earlier this year, Davey shared that Zoho is developing its own large language model focused on Indian languages, with plans to integrate it into its product suite at the right time.
Zoho cofounder Sridhar Vembu, who stepped away from the CEO role, now leads the company’s deep research initiatives as “Chief Scientist”. In January, he said, “It is best that I should focus full time on R&D initiatives, along with pursuing my personal rural development mission.”
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