AeroVironment Completes Acquisition of German Robotics Firm, Telerob

AeroVironment said it has acquired German company Telerob for approximately $55 million.

On May 4, the company announced it was granted clearance from the German government and bought Telerob Gesellschaft für Fernhantierungstechnik mbH (Telerob), in a $45.4 million (€37.5 million) cash transaction and the pay-off of approximately $9.4 million (€7.8 million) in Telerob’s debt at closing. Telerob now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AeroVironment.

AeroVironment submitted a proposal with Telerob for the United States Air Force 10-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Large Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robot program, announced in October 2020. The Air Force has not announced the awardee for this program.

“Our acquisition of Telerob marks a significant expansion to our portfolio of intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, from small and medium unmanned aircraft systems, to tactical missile systems and now, unmanned ground vehicles,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment president and chief executive officer.

Founded in 1994, Telerob has developed telemax and tEODor EVO family of UGVs and fully-equipped transport vehicles, as well as training, repair and support services. Telerob’s solutions safely and effectively perform a variety of dangerous missions, including explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), hazardous materials handling (HAZMAT) and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threat assessment. Telerob’s UGVs possess all-terrain capabilities and offer some of the most advanced, specialized, precision manipulators, autonomous functionality and intuitive operation to deliver a high degree of mission flexibility.

Telerob is based near Stuttgart, Germany.