Qualcomm reportedly in talks to acquire PickNik Robotics for edge AI expansion

Qualcomm is picking up PickNik Robotics, the Boulder, Colorado-based company behind the widely used MoveIt Pro robotics software platform. The deal would fold PickNik’s software capabilities into Qualcomm’s existing hardware and platform ecosystem, giving the chipmaker a more complete stack for the rapidly expanding robotics market. Qualcomm’s robotics acquisition streak The company acquired Arduino in October 2025, bringing the beloved prototyping platform into its orbit. Then in June 2026, Qualcomm agreed to buy Modular for nearly $4 billion, a deal expected to close in the second half of 2026. On the hardware side, Qualcomm unveiled the Dragonwing IQ10 robotics processor series in January 2026, designed specifically for humanoid robots and autonomous mobile robots. What PickNik brings to the table PickNik Robotics was founded in 2015 and spent its early years as a robotics engineering services firm. Around 2021, the company pivoted toward product development, building out MoveIt Pro as its flagship offering. MoveIt Pro is a commercial platform for developing robotic arm applications, handling the complex math and motion planning that allows a robot to reach for an object without...