Brightpick

Brightpick
TypePrivate
IndustryRobotics
Founded2021; 5 years ago (2021)
Key peopleJán Žižka (CEO)
Websitebrightpick.ai

Brightpick is a warehouse robotics company founded in Bratislava, Slovakia, in 2021. Its robots are used to pick and move goods in warehouses.

Brightpick began as an internal project of Photoneo, a Slovak company specialising in 3D vision. Zebra Technologies acquired Photoneo in 2025, while Brightpick remained independent.

History

Brightpick was launched within Photoneo in 2021. Photoneo had been founded in Slovakia in 2013 by Ján Žižka, Tomáš Kovačovský, Michal Malý and Branislav Puliš and developed 3D vision technology.

Brightpick's first major customer was Czech online grocer Rohlik Group, which began testing its robots in 2022. Brightpick then deployed robots in a warehouse serving Dr. Max.

Zebra Technologies acquired Photoneo's machine-vision business in 2025. Brightpick remained with its founders and continued independently.

The company has also expanded its customer base in the US, through deployments with companies like The Feed and NAPA Auto Parts.

More than 500 Brightpick robots were in use across Europe and the United States by 2026.

Technology and operations

Autopicker is a mobile robot fitted with a robotic arm and machine vision. It removes storage containers from shelving and picks individual items from them. Brightpick robots have been deployed in online grocery and pharmaceutical warehouses.

Brightpick introduced Gridpicker in 2026, a grid-based system for warehouse storage and order picking.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Zatloukal, Jiří (1 June 2025). "Roboti ze skladů Rohlíku a Dr. Maxe míří do USA. Stojí jako levné auto". Seznam Zprávy (in Czech). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Kačírek, Šimon (8 March 2026). "Mají jednu ruku a jsou z Bratislavy. Armáda robotů dobývá pod vedením Jána Žižky sklady v Česku i v USA". e15 (in Czech). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  3. 1 2 Haluza, Ivan (10 December 2021). "Firemný newsfilter: Predcovidové investície sme nestratili, domácich rezňov bude menej a veľký skok robotov pre e-shopy". Denník N (in Slovak). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Machri zo skladov. Slovák naučil robotov liezť na šesťmetrové police, trúfa si na miliardovú hodnotu". Forbes Slovensko (in Slovak). 11 March 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  5. 1 2 Tvardzík, Jozef (2025). "Slovakia's biggest M&A deals of the year: 365.bank, DNA ERA, and more". The Slovak Spectator. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  6. ↑ Hubička, Filip (16 November 2022). "Za rychlostí Rohlíku jsou i roboti ve skladech. Na projektu v Horních Počernicích spolupracuje společnost Brightpick, cílem je efektivnější kompletace zásilek". Ekonom (in Czech). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  7. ↑ "Zebra Technologies Completes Acquisition of Photoneo" (Press release). Zebra Technologies. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "Stovky robotů a útok na americký trh. Brightpick letos plánuje růst o 300 procent". Forbes Czechia (in Czech). 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  9. ↑ Carranza, Alejandra (7 February 2024). "Sports gear retailer deploys autopicker robots". Supply Chain Dive. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Gonsalves, Antone (3 March 2026). "NAPA expands use of warehouse robots". Supply Chain Dive. Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Roboti, do práce! Slovák mení pravidlá hry v skladoch, od investorov získal už 40 miliónov". Forbes Slovensko (in Slovak). Retrieved 30 September 2026.
  12. ↑ "Brightpick sees Gridpicker as new 'picking paradigm'". Logistics Matters. 26 May 2026. Retrieved 30 September 2026.