Agile Robots expands its market position with the acquisition of thyssenkrupp assets

Acquisition Agile Robots Takes Over Thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering

2025-11-26 Source: Press release | Translated by AI 3 min Reading Time

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Agile Robots, a leading provider of AI-supported robotic solutions, acquires assets of the plant manufacturer thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering in Europe and North America, which were previously part of the Automotive Technology segment of thyssenkrupp AG.

AR production in Kaufbeuren.(Image: Agile Robots) — AR production in Kaufbeuren.
(Image: Agile Robots)

With the acquisition, the Munich-based (Germany) company is expanding its market position in the field of next-generation smart automation solutions and tapping into new growth areas. Decisive factors in choosing thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering were its technological expertise, long-standing customer relationships, and decades of experience, particularly in the international automotive industry.

Now is the right time to combine AI, robotics, and industrial expertise. Physical AI offers the industry enormous productivity leaps.

Zhaopeng Chen, Founder and CEO, Agile Robots

"With thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering, we gain the perfect reinforcement to jointly drive the next industrial revolution. And that from Germany," says Zhaopeng Chen, founder and CEO of Agile Robots.

Agile Robots was founded in 2018 as a spin-off of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Munich and currently employs more than 2,500 staff from around 60 countries. With the acquisition of thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering, the team grows by approximately 650 experts and 10 new locations in Europe and North America. thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering's revenue in 2024 was in the three-digit million range. Since its founding in 2018, Agile Robots has been able to double its revenue annually and achieved around $ 230 million in 2024.

Automotive Industry As A Starting Point for Growth

The acquisition takes place in a challenging market environment. Particularly the automotive industry, the traditional core business of thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering, is undergoing a profound transformation. Agile Robots sees this as an opportunity: "We want to reposition the company and tap into additional market segments," says Chen. Additionally, the North American business offers Agile Robots the chance to further establish itself in the U.S. market.

In the past five years, Agile Robots has implemented robotic solutions around the globe for customers in the consumer electronics and automotive sectors. This involved not only the installation of robots but also the transformation of entire production lines.

Our goal is to further shorten innovation cycles and continuously optimize our customers' production.

Zhaopeng Chen, Founder and CEO, Agile Robots

This is made possible by an integrated portfolio that combines robotics hardware, software, extensive data, and in-house manufacturing from a single source—supported by one of the largest research and development teams in the industry with over 1,000 AI and robotics experts.

Synergies Through Strong Networks And New Industries

With the acquisition, Agile Robots strengthens its mechanical engineering expertise and expands its global network with established locations and supply chains in all major industrial markets. At the same time, the company benefits from decades of industry experience and close partnerships of thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering with OEMs.

The collaboration also opens up new opportunities for thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering in high-growth sectors such as consumer electronics, medical technology, and intralogistics.

Customers benefit from the strengthened end-to-end expertise of the group, which ranges from industrial robots and autonomous mobile robots to system integration. Both companies also plan to jointly develop new modular system solutions.

Long-Term Perspectives

Dr. Rolf-Günther Nieberding, CEO of thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering: "We bring our long-standing experience in plant engineering and project execution for demanding processes, critical projects, and global customer structures into a dynamically growing organization of a German future-oriented company. With Agile Robots' innovations in the application of robotics, software, and system integration, as well as our expertise, we can specifically create added value for our joint customers—and further support the rapid growth of the Agile Robots Group."

The company was founded in 1950 under the name Johann A. Krause in Bremen, Germany and quickly established itself as an important machinery manufacturer for the automotive industry in the German and European markets. Thyssen Industrie AG acquired 100 percent of the company's shares in 1989 and expanded its presence in North America. Today, the company is among the world's leading providers of automated production systems.

The goal is to preserve and further develop the existing competencies and the high engineering expertise of the workforce. After the acquisition, the company will operate as Krause Automation within the Agile Robots Group in the future.

The transaction is subject to the approval of the relevant regulatory authorities and is expected in the coming months. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.

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Date: 08.12.2025

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