Simby has raised $50 million in its latest funding round, according to Grocery Dive.

Simbi, the robotics company whose aisle skating bots are in several U.S.

grocery chains, announced last Thursday it has raised $50 million in a series C round led by Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs.

The robotics company said it plans to use the new funding to expand into product areas, scale its solutions with global deployments and, quote, pursue strategic growth opportunities, end quote.

The company also plans to expand its team, which it has doubled in the past year.

Simby noted in the Thursday announcement that it unveiled this year new and expanded partnerships with retailers including Spartan, Nash, Shoprite, Northeast Grocery, Care4and3 Albertsons banners, Market Street, United Supermarkets and Albertsons Market.

The technology company also counts BJ Whole, BJ's Wholesale Club and Schnook Markets among its current clients.

Chris, what do you think that Simby's $50 million Series C signals about the trajectory of retail technology investments?

Man, and I love this headline.

This is one where we were like unanimous on this week, you know, which, you know, which tends, which tends to happen.

There's usually two or three a week like that.

But, but I love this, I love this announcement because it tells all of our listeners, like, why you should listen and tune into us each week because we are trying to stay on top of the trends.

We are trying to predict where things are going.

And I feel like we had, we, you know, we had some insight, insight into this based on the retailers we're talking to regularly, because I think it shines light on what we've been saying for the past few years now.

And it's very validating of our overall thesis that money, number one, money is still flowing to tech that will show a return.

Because what's the one thing, what's the one thing the grocers have told us that have deployed the robots?

And what's the one thing they've all said?

They won't let them go.

Like they're just a part of the whole team at the store.

Like no one wants them to walk.

Out of the door 100%.

Like they basically say.

They basically say to us every time we ask them, you can take anything you want, but you cannot take my robot.

And that's pretty telling.

And the reason is because they work, you get inventory, you get pricing accuracy, you get planogram compliance, plus you get all the operational offshoots you can when you combine them with ESLs.

So the industry is seeing it, which is again why I think all signs point to 2025 being the year of the robot.

And by that I mean the reach of the robot not just continuing in grocery, but starting to extend deeper like traditional grocery, but starting to extend deeper into other verticals in retail as well.

And Goldman Sachs alternatives seems like they tend to agree with that sentiment, at least from this.

From the size of the investment here and the round.

Yes.

And Simbi's strategic growth opportunities that they're working on, we'll be excited to see what kind of retailers they land in next.

And yeah, I don't have much to add, Chris.

I mean, I think anecdotally, I will say that since we released that Schnooks video with the robot last year about this time, and even just after talking to the schnooks team, and I'm still getting emails and direct messages via LinkedIn today where people are asking to get connected with them from other retailers so that they can find out more about what, like the why and the how related to the robots.

Because this is an area that, that people are seriously considering and seriously investing money in right now, like you said.

Yeah, and we got to talk to BJ's too, and see how they're working this thing.

See how they're doing the robot too, now that I think about it.

We got to get on the horn with them and see what they're learning from this as well.