Appears inManufacturing robots
Overview
Rethink Robotics was a Boston-based collaborative robotics company founded by iRobot co-founder Rodney Brooks. The company developed Baxter and Sawyer, two pioneering collaborative robots (cobots) designed to work alongside humans in manufacturing. Rethink ceased operations in October 2018 and its IP was acquired by HAHN Group, later joining United Robotics Group in 2021.
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- None on file
Key facts
Stage
Founder
Total fundingsee investors →
Status
Legacy
Data & sources
Web sources
1
1 source backing this record.View all →
Models (2)
View all models →Current platform
Sawyer
Rethink Robotics' Sawyer is a single-arm collaborative robot for precision tasks such as machine tending and testing/inspection; it followed Baxter and remains in production under Rethink Robotics GmbH.
Current platform
Baxter
Rethink Robotics' Baxter, introduced in 2012, was a dual-arm collaborative robot with an animated-face display, designed for safe operation alongside workers on light manufacturing and packaging tasks; it helped pioneer the collaborative-robot category.
Rethink Robotics on the deployment map
Where Rethink Robotics's robots are verified operating. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
Relationships
Founders (1)
- Rodney Brookssolefounded 2008-01-01no longer at company
Former / Previously (2)
- Rodney Brooks Co-Foundersecondary-verified
- Rodney Brooks Founder, Chairman & CTO2008 to 2018secondary-verified
Safety record
No incidents on record for Rethink Robotics.
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Recent coverage
Rethink Robotics in third-party press
Peer companies
- DENSO Corporation2 models
- F&P Robotics2 models
- Novarc Technologies2 models
- Techman Robot2 models
- AUBO Robotics1 model
- Agile Robots1 model
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- private_reported
- Lifecycle stage
- early
- Counterparty risk class
- moderate
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Funding rounds (1)
- Series C2017-01-01
$30M(reported)
Investors: Sigma Partners (lead)
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdJun 8, 2026
Added to the verified registry
Sources (1)
Common questions
- What is Rethink Robotics?
- Rethink Robotics was a Boston-based collaborative robotics company founded by iRobot co-founder Rodney Brooks. The company developed Baxter and Sawyer, two pioneering collaborative robots (cobots) designed to work alongside humans in manufacturing. Rethink ceased operations in October 2018 and its IP was acquired by HAHN Group, later joining United Robotics Group in 2021.
- What does Rethink Robotics make?
- Rethink Robotics has 2 robot models on the DEPLOY registry: Sawyer, Baxter (Rethink Robotics builds physical robots).
- Is Rethink Robotics publicly traded?
- Rethink Robotics is not independently listed on public markets; it is part of German Rethink | Founder: Rodney Brooks | Total funding: ~50M | Status: Ceased operations October 2018 on the DEPLOY registry.
- Who competes with Rethink Robotics?
- On the DEPLOY registry, peer companies to Rethink Robotics building in the same form factors include DENSO Corporation, F&P Robotics, Novarc Technologies, Techman Robot.
- Who is the CEO of Rethink Robotics?
- Rodney Brooks is the founder of Rethink Robotics, per the DEPLOY registry.
- How can I invest in Rethink Robotics?
- Rethink Robotics has no separately traded stock; it is owned by German Rethink | Founder: Rodney Brooks | Total funding: ~50M | Status: Ceased operations October 2018 (the parent is the entity that trades, where it is public).
- Where is Rethink Robotics headquartered?
- Rethink Robotics is headquartered in Boston, MA.
- How much funding has Rethink Robotics raised?
- Rethink Robotics has raised approximately $30M in disclosed funding on record in the DEPLOY registry.
- Who owns Rethink Robotics?
- Rethink Robotics is owned by German Rethink | Founder: Rodney Brooks | Total funding: ~50M | Status: Ceased operations October 2018, per the DEPLOY registry.
- Where does Rethink Robotics operate robots?
- Rethink Robotics is a robot manufacturer and does not directly operate deployments on the DEPLOY registry. Its products are deployed by customer operators; see the company page for the verified deployment record.
- Is Rethink Robotics a top robotics company?
- On DEPLOY's intelligence score, which blends verified deployments, funding, hiring, media, safety, and IP signals, Rethink Robotics ranks in roughly the top 40% of companies tracked by the registry.
- When was Rethink Robotics founded?
- Rethink Robotics was founded in 2008.
- Is Rethink Robotics safe?
- Rethink Robotics has no incidents on record in the DEPLOY registry. This does not constitute a safety guarantee; it reflects the incidents DEPLOY has tracked and verified to date.
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-07-04
Verification posture
Verified
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-07-04
Sources by quality tier
- 1
- unclassified
- Unclassified source
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Rethink Robotics.Peer companies
- DENSO Corporation2 models
- F&P Robotics2 models
- Novarc Technologies2 models
- Techman Robot2 models
- AUBO Robotics1 model
- Agile Robots1 model
In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Rethink Robotics from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
Rethink Robotics Rebirth
Rethink Robotics ceased operations in October 2018, was acquired by HAHN Group, and joined United Robotics Group in 2021. The Rethink brand is being revitalized under new…
Rethink Robotics - Wikipedia
Rethink Robotics, founded by Rodney Brooks, developed Baxter and Sawyer cobots, raised 50M in funding, ceased operations in October 2018, and its IP was acquired by HAHN Group…
Rethink Robotics IP acquired by HAHN Group
HAHN Group, a German automation specialist, acquired all patents, trademarks, and the Intera 5 software platform from Rethink Robotics after the company ceased operations.
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/rethink-robotics.md
- RSS feed: /companies/rethink-robotics/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/a6c6496a-26ec-465f-bc2e-ff4cf788aed6
- Revision history: /companies/rethink-robotics/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Peer companies
- DENSO Corporation2 models
- F&P Robotics2 models
- Novarc Technologies2 models
- Techman Robot2 models
- AUBO Robotics1 model
- Agile Robots1 model
Video
Learn how simple it is to train our smart, collaborative robots to perform a task in this sixty second video with Sawyer, the easiest to use train-by-demonstrat
Our Intera software platform provides critical data insights to manufacturers in real time. Collaborative robot Sawyer™ gives operators and line managers valuab
http://bit.ly/1TlXale In this episode, we chat with Jim Lawton, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Rethink Robotics. Hear how these collaborative robots are
An example of the training of a Rethink Robot through Intera Software platform. Want to learn more please contact Sure Controls for more information: +1 (920)
Rodney Brooks, founder of iRobot and Rethink Robotics and creator of the Baxter robot and Roomba, talks about what it takes to make a robot that is commercially
Lecturer Jason Low talks with Rethink Robotics about how Baxter Robots are giving ISE students an advantage in the job market. Special thanks go to Rethink Robo
Sawyer is a single arm, high performance, collaborative robot designed to execute machine tending, circuit board testing and other precise tasks that have histo
Learn what makes our smart, collaborative robots different from other manufacturing automation solutions in this sixty second video with Sawyer. To view our ot
Rethink Robotics baxter sold by Nevada System of Higher Education Business Center North, NV on GovDeals.com at https://www.GovDeals.com/asset/2079/2938
Reality vs attention
Rethink Robotics draws attention at the 64th percentile but verifies reality at the insufficient-data level among cobot robots.
6-month trend
Analysis
Funding runway warrants monitoring: last known round 116 months ago.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Jul 23, 2026