Locus Robotics acquires Nexera to add NeuraGrasp soft‑membrane grippers

Locus Robotics said on May 19 that it acquired Nexera Robotics, a Vancouver-based developer of robotic grasping technology, to add Nexera’s NeuraGrasp end-effector to its Locus Array warehouse picking system. The company said the deal is aimed at widening the range of items Array can pick autonomously in fulfillment operations. Financial terms were not disclosed. Locus framed the acquisition as a hardware-and-software upgrade to its broader “physical AI” platform, which it says coordinates autonomous robots across warehouse workflows. In a company post published the same day, Chief Executive Rick Faulk said robotic manipulation of “messy, irregular” inventory had remained a hard problem for warehouse automation. ### What exactly did Locus buy? (morningstar.com) Locus said it acquired Nexera Robotics and its patented NeuraGrasp technology, rather than announcing a partnership or supply agreement. The company described Nexera as specializing in advanced robotic grasping and said the purchase would let it bring that capability directly into Locus Array. (locusrobotics.com) May 19 statements from Locus said the added technology would broaden what Array can handle “across end-to-end fulfillment workflows.” Trade publication coverage the same day described the move as an expansion of Array’s mobile manipulation and picking capabilities. ### What is NeuraGrasp supposed to do inside a warehouse? (morningstar.com) Locus said NeuraGrasp combines AI-driven grasping intelligence, onboard sensory inputs, computer vision and a patented soft-membrane structure. The company said that setup allows a single gripper to adapt to differences in shape, surface texture, material, porosity and weight. (morningstar.com) Rick Faulk said in the acquisition announcement that “AI-driven mobile manipulation at enterprise scale” is the current frontier in warehouse robotics. Locus said NeuraGrasp is intended to help Array reach SKU categories and manipulation tasks that existing warehouse picking systems have struggled to address. (morningstar.com) ### Why does the gripper matter more than a standard suction tool? Locus said conventional suction-based end-effectors can fail on loose fabric, blister packs, perforated packaging and other irregular items because they require an airtight seal. In its May 19 blog post, the company said warehouse inventory changes constantly and often includes goods that were never designed for automation. (morningstar.com) The company said Nexera developed NeuraGrasp for that variability, using membrane-based grasping rather than relying only on suction. Trade coverage of the deal said the technology is meant to let Locus Array pick a broader set of e-commerce stock-keeping units. ### How does this fit into Locus Array? Locus launched Array as a Robots-to-Goods system for autonomous fulfillment and says it is designed to reduce labor by up to 90% while running picking and related workflows continuously. (locusrobotics.com) Company materials say Array is part of the LocusONE platform and is built for induction, picking, putaway, consolidation and related warehouse tasks. Locus said the Nexera acquisition extends that roadmap by improving the robot’s ability to physically grasp a wider range of inventory. In its announcement, the company said NeuraGrasp had been developed over five years and six generations and validated through thousands of hours and tens of millions of picks. (locusrobotics.com) ### What concrete scale did Locus cite as it announced the deal? Locus said on May 19 that it has more than 17,000 robots deployed across more than 360 sites and that those systems have processed more than 7 billion picks. The figures appeared in the company’s blog post announcing the acquisition and outlining its push toward more autonomous fulfillment. November 10, 2025 marked the company’s first shipment of Locus Array units to DHL, according to a separate Locus post, giving a recent reference point for how early the Array rollout still is. (morningstar.com) The next step Locus named this week was integration of NeuraGrasp into that Array platform. (locusrobotics.com 1) (locusrobotics.com 2)