Surge Acquires Majority Stake in IDEA8 to Launch Surge Robotics

Surge today announced the acquisition of a majority stake in IDEA8, an IoT, sensor technology and embedded systems company, marking the launch of Surge Robotics, a new business focused on industrial automation, intelligent hardware and connected manufacturing.

The acquisition expands Surge beyond enterprise software and digital infrastructure into the physical layer of technology, combining its capabilities in software, AI, cloud and enterprise systems with IDEA8’s expertise in embedded systems, sensors, edge computing and industrial IoT.

IDEA8 has built and deployed technology across multiple international markets, with projects spanning Sri Lanka, India, Singapore, Thailand, Spain and South Korea. Its technology is already being deployed or evaluated within large-scale industrial and manufacturing environments, including a running pilot at a Uniqlo manufacturing facility in India, alongside engagements with manufacturers including MAS and Brandix, with further industry deployments under development.

The company’s technical capabilities span embedded and IoT systems using platforms including ESP32, STM32/ARM, Raspberry Pi and NVIDIA Jetson, together with BLE, Wi-Fi, CAN, MQTT and custom sensor interfaces. These technologies allow industrial businesses to connect machinery, collect real-time operating data and introduce automation into environments where legacy equipment has traditionally remained offline.

Surge Robotics will combine these capabilities with Surge’s software, data and AI infrastructure to develop an integrated industrial technology platform.

The business will initially focus on manufacturing, apparel, warehousing and logistics, with applications including machine monitoring, predictive maintenance, production analytics, computer vision, asset tracking, quality control and factory automation.

“The next phase of enterprise technology will not stop at software,” said Bhanuka Harischandra, Managing Director of Surge. “There are millions of machines and physical assets across emerging markets that are still disconnected from the digital economy. IDEA8 gives us the engineering capability to connect that physical infrastructure to software, data and AI.”

He added:

“Surge Robotics allows us to work across the entire technology stack from the sensor attached to a machine, through edge computing and connectivity, all the way to the ERP, analytics and AI layer used by management. We believe that combination can meaningfully change how industrial businesses digitise.”

IDEA8 will continue to be led by Chanaka Prasad, with its existing engineering team becoming the foundation of Surge Robotics. The company brings more than 40 professionals across embedded engineering, electronics, IoT, edge computing and software development.

Surge Robotics will also establish an advisory board bringing together international commercial and industrial experience.

The initial advisory board includes Henry Wu, an expert in both digital technology and hospitality. Henry has more than 25 years experience as a hospitality entrepreneur, developing, operating and marketing luxury hotels, extended stays and restaurants. He is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned his bachelors and masters in electrical engineering and computer science. Before hospitality, Henry was a teacher and researcher in computer hardware, systems software, symbolic computing, as well as artificial intelligence at MIT.

Alongside Henry, Sarath Sathkumara will join Surge Robotics as both an advisor and minority investor, bringing more than 30 years of experience across global capital markets and emerging markets investing.

Sarath has held senior investment roles at Capital Group, State Street Global Advisors, SBI Venture Capital and Taiyo Pacific Partners. At Capital Group, he was responsible for approximately US$1.5 billion of investments in India by 1997, representing nearly 20% of foreign capital invested in the market at the time, and helped establish Capital’s asset management venture with the Birla Group.

The transaction forms part of Surge’s broader strategy of building and acquiring specialised technology capabilities that can be integrated into its growing enterprise technology ecosystem.

Surge currently works with businesses across payments, enterprise software, commerce and digital transformation. The addition of robotics and industrial IoT creates an opportunity for the group to provide customers with technology extending from their financial and enterprise systems directly into their factories, warehouses and physical operations.

Surge Robotics will operate as a dedicated business within the Surge ecosystem, with international expansion and further investment into proprietary hardware, sensor technology, computer vision and AI-powered automation planned over the coming years.

About Surge Global

Surge is a technology group building software, infrastructure and digital products for businesses across emerging and international markets. Its capabilities span enterprise software, payments, cloud technology, AI, digital transformation and now industrial IoT and robotics.

About IDEA8

IDEA8 is an engineering and technology company specialising in embedded systems, IoT, sensor technology, edge computing and industrial automation. Its team has delivered technology projects across Asia and Europe, working with businesses across manufacturing, apparel and other industrial sectors.