Photoneo Company Profile: History, Ownership and Products
Updated: 7 days ago
Photoneo is a Slovak company that makes 3D scanners and cameras that give robots depth vision. Three doctoral students founded it in 2013, and Zebra Technologies acquired it in 2025. This profile sets out its history, ownership and products.
Photoneo at a Glance
Fact | Detail |
Company | Photoneo |
Founded | 2013 |
Founders | Jan Zizka, Tomas Kovacovsky and Michal Maly |
Base | Bratislava, Slovakia |
Employees | More than 150, in four countries |
Owner | Zebra Technologies, since 2025 |
Main products | PhoXi 3D Scanner and MotionCam-3D |
Company History
Jan Zizka, Tomas Kovacovsky and Michal Maly founded Photoneo in 2013 while they were doctoral students at Comenius University. Branislav Pulis joined in 2015 as a fourth co-founder to lead sales. The first commercial product, the PhoXi 3D Scanner, was launched in 2016, and MotionCam-3D, which captures moving scenes, followed in 2020.
In 2021 the company's warehouse robot activity became a separate unit called Brightpick, and the group took the name Photoneo Brightpick Group.
Key milestones
2013: Founded.
2016: PhoXi 3D Scanner launched.
2018: Bin Picking Studio launched.
2020: MotionCam-3D launched.
2021: Brightpick becomes a standalone unit.
2022: MotionCam-3D Color.
December 30, 2024: Zebra Technologies announces the acquisition.
2025: Photoneo joins Zebra.
Ownership
Zebra Technologies bought the Photoneo 3D vision business from the Photoneo Brightpick Group, paying in cash; the price was not disclosed. The deal did not include the warehouse robot business, which continues as a separate company under the name Brightpick.
Products
Product | Purpose |
PhoXi 3D Scanner | High-accuracy 3D scanning of static scenes |
MotionCam-3D | 3D capture of moving objects, also in color |
Alpha 3D Scanner | Additional scanner line |
Bin Picking Studio and Locator Studio | Software for robot picking and object location |
Depalletization | Vision solution for unloading pallets |
Photoneo 3D Meshing | 3D model creation |
Can You Invest in Photoneo?
Not directly. Its parent, Zebra Technologies, is listed on Nasdaq. This is general information, not investment advice.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
Recognized 3D technology, especially for moving scenes.
A large parent with a machine vision business.
Challenges
Zebra's decision in late 2025 to wind down its mobile robot unit shows that it is narrowing its automation activities, which adds some uncertainty.
Strong competition in 3D vision.
Current Catalogue Coverage
Catalogue checked on 15 October 2026: 4 associated product records. The links below are representative entries, rather than a claim that every historical model is currently available.
Photoneo FAQ
Who owns Photoneo?
Zebra Technologies, which announced the acquisition on December 30, 2024.
Where is Photoneo based?
In Bratislava, Slovakia.
Who founded Photoneo?
Jan Zizka, Tomas Kovacovsky and Michal Maly, in 2013.
What does Photoneo make?
3D scanners and cameras, including PhoXi and MotionCam-3D, and software for robot picking.
Is Brightpick part of Photoneo?
No longer. Brightpick continues as a separate company and was not part of the sale to Zebra.
Sources
Photoneo: about us
Vision Systems Design: Zebra Technologies to acquire Photoneo
