Addverb Technologies, a Noida-based robotics startup, builds innovative robots and automation systems that empower companies across different industries to operate more efficiently. Trackr, touted as India’s first assistive dog robot, is their latest creation. Operating autonomously, Trackr can be used for tasks such as facility inspections, patrols and surveillance in diverse sectors including construction, manufacturing and defence.
Heal, the medical cobot, focuses on physical and rehabilitation therapy for stroke patients and aids in remote imaging procedures like ultrasound and MRI scans. “Its versatility shines in laboratory settings, where it streamlines routine activities and showcases its potential to revolutionise medical services,” says Satish Shukla, co-founder of Addverb. He along with three former colleagues from Asian Paints — Sangeet Kumar, Bir Singh and Prateek Jain — founded Addverb in 2016 to offer automated solutions. “The timing was opportune, coinciding with the implementation of GST and the industrial automation surge in the country,” he noted.
Syncro, the collaborative robot, is engineered to work alongside humans in warehouses and factories. Boasting advanced safety features, adaptability, and ease of use, this bot finds application across diverse tasks from manufacturing to logistics. Its user-friendly interface ensures seamless integration into existing workflows, promising to elevate efficiency.
“Our robots and automation solutions solve the 3D problem, as in we eliminate dull, dirty and dangerous jobs by automating them. Our customers include the likes of Reliance, Indian Oil, ITC, Dabur, DHL, Maersk, Amazon, Flipkart, Lenskart to name a few,” says Shukla.
Driving adoption
Shukla notes that in India, the factors driving the adoption of robotics and automation differ significantly from those in the West. “We are now seeing the kind of e-commerce penetration which is not even seen in the West. All this is forcing companies to adopt automation in order to create an efficient and accurate supply chain which can help them in scaling their business” he adds.
Addverb collaborated with Hindustan Unilever to automate the FMCG major’s Chennai warehouse, achieving 24-hour order fulfillment with 9,500 picks per hour. Similarly, PepsiCo has partnered with Addverb to automate its largest greenfield snack manufacturing facility in Kosi-Kalan, Uttar Pradesh.
“We are seeing a lot of traction in conventional manufacturing industries, in the chemical industry, and in the last six months to one year, we have seen a lot of traction in the paint industry, tire industry, oil and gas sector, and refineries as well,” says Shukla.
Taking the next leap
Addverb Technologies is expanding its operations across multiple fronts. The company has invested significantly in its first robot manufacturing facility, Bot-Valley (began with an investment of `75 crore), set up in March 2021, within 18 months of the land allotment. Addverb’s second manufacturing unit in Noida, Bot-Verse, spans over 6,00,000 sq. ft. and has been built with an expenditure of `200 crore.
“We are an AI company, our robots and automation systems are intelligent agents that learn from their surroundings through computer vision. We are targeting expansion in pharma, consumer goods, solar energy, electric vehicle and battery segments,” says Shukla.
From a revenue of `1.6 c rore in 2016-17 to clocking over `450 crore in 2023, Addverb has come a long way and today has more than 350 customers and 800+ employees spread across the world. “We are targeting a global annual revenue of `10,000 crore in FY28-29,” he summarises.
