FANUC Corporation
Acquisitions
3
Major Deals Covered
$7M
Disclosed Deal Value
FANUC's largest disclosed acquisition here is Preferred Networks (strategic investment & technology alliance) for $7.3M in 2015. This page covers 3 major deals from 2009 to 2018, each with its price where disclosed and the reason behind it.
| Company | Year | Price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GE Fanuc Automation (CNC business) | 2009 | Undisclosed | FANUC and General Electric dissolved their 1986 joint venture, with FANUC taking the CNC business. |
| Life Robotics | 2018 | Undisclosed | Acquired Tokyo-based collaborative robotics startup Life Robotics to absorb patented multi-joint robotic arm mechanisms and engineering talent. |
| Preferred Networks (strategic investment & technology alliance) | 2015 | $7.3M | Invested ¥900 million ($7.3 million) to partner with leading Japanese AI lab Preferred Networks to integrate deep reinforcement learning into industrial robot controllers. |
2018
Acquired Tokyo-based collaborative robotics startup Life Robotics to absorb patented multi-joint robotic arm mechanisms and engineering talent.
Accelerated development of human-safe cobots for tight manufacturing cleanrooms.
2015
$7M
Invested ¥900 million ($7.3 million) to partner with leading Japanese AI lab Preferred Networks to integrate deep reinforcement learning into industrial robot controllers.
Pioneered the FIELD system (FANUC Intelligent Edge Link and Drive) open platform for real-time factory floor AI.
2009
FANUC and General Electric dissolved their 1986 joint venture, with FANUC taking the CNC business.
Gave FANUC direct control of its CNC sales and service in the Americas and Europe.
FANUC's growth plan pushes automation into general industry such as food, logistics, and pharmaceuticals using CRX collaborative robots that are programmed through a tablet. In 2026 it opened up its platform to Physical AI: a March 2026 collaboration uses NVIDIA Jetson, Isaac Sim, and Omniverse with FANUC robots and ROBOGUIDE, a May 2026 collaboration with Google applies Google's AI models to robot systems, and in July 2026 CEO Kenji Yamaguchi joined NVIDIA's Japanese robotics initiative alongside Fujitsu, Yaskawa, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
FANUC makes money by selling factory automation hardware and then supporting it for decades. Revenue comes from three product groups plus service: FA (CNC controls, servo motors, amplifiers, and lasers sold mainly to machine-tool builders), Robot (industrial robots and CRX collaborative robots sold to automakers, electronics makers, logistics firms, and integrators), and Robomachine (ROBODRILL machining centers, ROBOSHOT electric injection molding machines, and ROBOCUT wire EDM). FANUC designs and builds most core components in-house, including motors, drives, and controllers, and produces them in highly automated Japanese plants. A lifetime maintenance commitment, spare parts, training, and software such as ROBOGUIDE simulation keep customers on the platform long after the initial sale.
FANUC and General Motors formed GMFanuc Robotics in 1982. FANUC later took full ownership, and the business became FANUC America.
In 1986, FANUC formed GE Fanuc Automation Corporation with General Electric to dominate industrial controllers in the Americas and Europe. In 2009, after 23 successful years, FANUC and GE mutually dissolved the joint venture, with FANUC taking full control of the core CNC business (FANUC CNC America and Europe).
In 2015, FANUC invested ¥900 million ($7.3 million USD) in leading Japanese artificial intelligence and deep learning startup Preferred Networks (PFN). The partnership developed deep reinforcement learning algorithms for robotic bin picking, automated part inspection, and predictive maintenance.
Unlike western competitors that rely heavily on dilutive M&A, FANUC prioritizes organic in-house R&D and strategic minority technology partnerships, preserving its unified software-hardware architecture and debt-free fortress balance sheet.
FANUC established Shanghai-FANUC Robotics Co., Ltd. in partnership with Shanghai Electric Group, constructing large robotics manufacturing, engineering, and training centers across China to supply the country's booming EV, electronics, and industrial sectors.
FANUC consolidated its European operations in 2012, merging separate robotics, CNC, and ROBOMACHINE subsidiaries into a unified corporate entity, FANUC Europe Corporation (headquartered in Echternach, Luxembourg), with 20+ national branch offices.
Historically, almost none. FANUC has a massive, deeply ingrained cultural philosophy of self-reliance. Instead of acquiring outside tech companies, they spend massive amounts of money on internal R&D, insisting on designing and manufacturing all core motors, controllers, and software themselves.
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