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Case Study

Rethinking Rethink Robotics

By Patrick Reinmoeller, Abdullah Alreziza, Abhijit Kulkarni and Ricardo Alejos

8 pages

April 2023

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Reference: IMD-7-2386

The case outlines the development of Boston-based start-up Rethink Robotics Inc., a leader in a rapidly growing part of the booming robotics market: collaborative robots (cobots), which work side by side with humans. This case also traces the moves of a mid-sized German hardware engineering company, HAHN Automation, a leader in integrated automation systems. With a keen interest in cobots, HAHN Automation had invested in the start-up and acquired the rights to distribute, sell and service Rethink Robotics’ products globally. This had made HAHN Automation a leader in the growing global market for cobots. When Rethink Robotics suddenly announced that it was liquidating, HAHN’s leaders needed to act. They saw three options: acquire, develop IP in-house or find another solution.

Learning Objective

Highlight the importance of business fundamentals, even for firms that are well aligned with macro trends.
Show the limitations of classic concepts, such as growth strategies, when a more nuanced and integrative approach is called for.
Illustrate the difference between organic and inorganic growth and between technological expertise and market knowledge.
Discover how a company manages an organizational transformation that involves the acquisition of external assets.
Illustrate how progressive changes in technologies and markets affect companies.

Keywords

Business to Business, Global Business, Strategy, General Management, Entrepreneurship, Collaborative Robot, Growth Strategy, Post-merger Integration, Mergers and Acquisitions, Resource Constraint

Settings

World/global
Rethink Robotics, Manufacturing, Industrial Automation

Type

Field Research

Available Languages

English

Related material

Teaching note, Video

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