FedEx pivots to robotics partnerships for warehouse automation

FedEx, the shipping and logistics giant valued at $84 billion, is shifting its automation strategy. The company is prioritizing partnerships with robotics companies over proprietary in-house development to scale its warehouse operations. As part of this strategy, FedEx has partnered with Berkshire Grey, a robotics company owned by SoftBank, to develop “Scoop”—a robot designed for bulk unloading, which refers to removing large bundles of multiple parcels from a truck at once. FedEx will start rolling out these Scoop robots to its warehouses through a pilot program later this year.

According to Stephanie Cook, director of advanced technology and innovation, robotics at FedEx, bulk unloading is one of the most physically demanding and unpredictable jobs in the warehouse. The partnership aims to deploy robots to take on repetitive, dangerous jobs for humans. Cook noted the difficulty of finding existing solutions, stating, “There’s nothing that is off-the-shelf that we recognize will work for our needs.” O.P. Skaaksrud, vice president of advanced technology and innovation at FedEx, explained that because of the wide variety of packages, specializing in individual picking would not be fast enough. Skaaksrud added that while developing sensor hardware is complicated, building robotics capabilities is far more complex, making external partnerships a faster route to deployment.

Beyond Berkshire Grey, FedEx is diversifying its automation portfolio through several key partnerships:

• Dexterity and Nimble: FedEx works with Dexterity, a robotics startup specializing in human-like touch, and Nimble, which builds autonomous warehouses.
• Aurora Innovation: Since signing an initial pilot deal in 2021 and expanding the partnership in 2022, FedEx has completed more than 3,200 autonomous loads—shipments transported by self-driving vehicles—with the autonomous trucking partner on defined routes in Texas.
• Nuro: FedEx previously partnered with the autonomous last-mile delivery robotic company in 2021, but after Nuro shifted from delivery to licensing in 2025, FedEx no longer works with the company.
• In-house Last-Mile: This shift follows mixed success with proprietary last-mile efforts. FedEx released its SameDay Bot in 2019, but the project was eventually abandoned after the bots faced local resistance, including being opposed in NYC by former mayor Bill de Blasio.

Why it matters

FedEx’s pivot highlights a broader trend where logistics giants are realizing that building proprietary robotics is often less efficient than partnering with specialized startups, especially for complex, high-volume warehouse tasks.