Robotics Is Real. The Discount Is Too

During our June 5th ROBO Global Webcast, we covered three key themes driving the robotics and AI investment landscape. The key trends included:

  • accelerating M&A activity;
  • global industrial reshoring and infrastructure buildout; and
  • compelling valuation opportunities in established, innovative robotics companies trading at historic discounts.

These themes are embodied by the constituents of the ROBO Global Robotics and Automation Index (ROBO) and the ROBO Global Artificial Intelligence Index (THNQ).

M&A Acceleration

On the M&A front, Ambarella (AMBA) shares jumped over 19% on June 24 on news of exploring a potential exit. The company represents an attractive target for firms seeking automotive and drone application expansion in computer vision. For reference, over 50% of ROBO constituents are small- and mid-caps, which are increasingly attractive partners or acquisitions to larger players. Both ROBO and THNQ include AMBA.

Global Industrial Reshoring & Infrastructure Buildout

We also covered global reshoring efforts, particularly across data centers and industrial sectors for sovereign independence. Since then, we’ve seen over $100B in semiconductor and data center commitments emerge, alongside new European collaborations from ROBO constituents.

At NVIDIA’s Paris GTC conference, several key partnerships materialized:

  • Schneider Electric (SBGSY) announced a collaboration with NVIDIA to develop AI-ready infrastructure. This collaboration will target power, cooling, and high-density rack systems for next-generation AI factories across Europe. SGBSY is included in ROBO.
  • Nebius Group (NBIS) delivered the first NVIDIA Blackwell general availability in Europe, offering B200 capacity on-demand through their self-service platform and NVIDIA DGX Cloud. NBIS is included in THNQ.
  • Supermicro (SMCI) launched European support for their complete NVIDIA AI Factory Stack, expanding manufacturing capabilities across the region. SMCI is included in THNQ.