Rethink Robotics Company Profile: History, Closure, Relaunch and Products
Updated: Oct 15
Rethink Robotics is the company that brought collaborative robots to wide public attention with Baxter and Sawyer, then closed in 2018 and was revived under German ownership. Its story is one of the most instructive in the cobot industry. This profile sets out its history, closure, relaunch and products.
Rethink Robotics at a Glance
Fact | Detail |
Company | Rethink Robotics |
Founded | 2008, by Rodney Brooks and Ann Whittaker |
Original base | Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
Famous products | Baxter, 2012, and Sawyer, 2015 |
Original company closed | October 2018 |
Assets bought by | HAHN Group of Germany, 2018 |
Owner | United Robotics Group |
Relaunched | September 2024, as Rethink Robotics, Inc. |
Stock listing | None |
Company History
Rodney Brooks, a former director of MIT's computer science and AI laboratory and a co-founder of iRobot, started the company in 2008 with Ann Whittaker to build low-cost robots that could work safely next to people. Baxter, a two-armed robot with a screen for a face, appeared in 2012 and could be taught by moving its arms by hand. The single-armed Sawyer followed in 2015.
The robots were influential but did not sell in the numbers needed, and in October 2018 the company ceased operations and sold its assets. The German automation group HAHN bought most of them, including patents, trademarks and the Intera 5 software. A Chinese company, Hunan CoThink Robotics, bought about 100 Baxter robots and the North American sales rights.
Under German ownership
HAHN continued the product as Rethink Robotics GmbH, launched the Sawyer BLACK Edition in October 2019, moved the headquarters to Bochum in 2020 and signed a partnership with Siemens. United Robotics Group became involved in 2021. The German company was itself shut down in August 2024, and a month later Rethink Robotics, Inc. reappeared in the United States with a new portfolio shown at the IMTS 2024 trade fair.
Key milestones
2008: Founded in Boston.
2012: Baxter released.
2015: Sawyer released.
October 2018: Operations cease; assets sold to HAHN Group.
2019: Sawyer BLACK Edition.
2021: United Robotics Group joins.
August 2024: Rethink Robotics GmbH shut down.
September 2024: Relaunch as Rethink Robotics, Inc.
Products
Product | Era | Description |
Baxter | 2012 | Two-armed collaborative robot taught by demonstration |
Sawyer | 2015 | Single-armed collaborative robot for machine tending and similar tasks |
Sawyer BLACK Edition | 2019 | Revised Sawyer built in Germany |
Reacher | Relaunch | New collaborative robot line |
Ryder | Relaunch | Autonomous mobile robot line |
Riser | Relaunch | Mobile manipulation product |
The relaunched company therefore sells a cobot and mobile robot range, rather than the original Baxter and Sawyer designs. It was a small organization at relaunch, with about 10 employees recorded for 2024.
Why Rethink Matters
Baxter and Sawyer did more than any other products to popularize the idea of a robot that works beside people without a cage and is taught rather than programmed. Their series-elastic joints made them safe but limited their precision and speed, and manufacturers bought stiffer, faster arms from competitors instead. The episode showed that safety and ease of use are not enough without industrial performance.
Can You Invest in Rethink Robotics?
No. It is owned by the privately held United Robotics Group.
Strengths and Challenges
Strengths
One of the best-known names in collaborative robotics.
A new product range covering arms and mobile robots.
Challenges
Two shutdowns in its history, in 2018 and 2024.
A very small organization at relaunch.
A market now crowded with established cobot makers.
Rethink Robotics FAQ
Does Rethink Robotics still exist?
Yes. After closing in 2018 and again as a German company in August 2024, it was relaunched in September 2024 as Rethink Robotics, Inc.
Who founded Rethink Robotics?
Rodney Brooks and Ann Whittaker, in 2008.
Who owns Rethink Robotics?
United Robotics Group.
What happened to Baxter and Sawyer?
The original company stopped operating in 2018 and its assets were sold to HAHN Group; the relaunched company sells a new range called Reacher, Ryder and Riser.
Why did Rethink Robotics fail in 2018?
Sales did not reach the level the company needed, and it ceased operations and sold its assets.
