Questions and answers

Q: What is Pio?
A: Pio is a plug-and-play version of AutoStore’s pioneering and acclaimed cube storage technology tailored for SMBs. By giving earlier access to best-in-class automation technology, Pio sets SMBs on a path to future growth.

Q: What does Pio stand for?
A: Product in. Product out.

Q: What is the purpose of Pio?
A: To fuel growth, empower brands, and fulfill ambitions. With Pio, we want to support "The ambitious independents," who work against the odds to make their dreams a reality. We do this by enabling the SMB segment to get AutoStore’s industry-leading warehouse robot technology.

Q: What are the reasons behind Pio?
A: Software solutions for e-commerce have taken gigantic leaps in the last 10 years, but automation is still reserved for the big players. We see a large potential market in the growing small- to medium-sized business (SMB) segment.

Q: What markets are we focusing on?
A: Our primary target geo are the Nordics and the US, but we built Pio to eventually become global.


Q: Who will benefit from Pio?
A: By enabling same-day order processing and eliminating backlog, we are leveling the playing field for independent brands. With Pio, SMBs can get items out the door on-time with no fuss, leading to a better customer experience. That being said, Pio’s customers aren’t the only ones who will benefit from Pio – a future with more choices and greater competition will ultimately contribute to more freedom of choice for us as consumers.

Q: Why will Pio be a success?
A: We are not starting from scratch. With the 25 years of experience we have in automation through our parent company as our foundation, we've made a scalable, plug-and-play version for the SMB market with a best-in-class software solution. That’s an edge any competitor will struggle to catch up to. Not to mention that we are already experiencing success with several handpicked and high-profile customers.

Q: How does Pio work?
A: Pio enables 4x more effective space utilization and up to 5x faster picking and packing operations. This empowers businesses to spend less time managing inventory and more time focusing on ensuring continued success.

Q: What does it cost to get Pio?
A: The business model behind Pio makes it possible to acquire robot automation at an entry-level cost. Pio’s pay-per-pick model dramatically reduces the initial CapEx, meaning more businesses can afford the world’s best automation technology earlier in their life cycle than ever before.

Q: Why is Pio a smart investment?
A: By transforming a business’s entire logistics operation, Pio is an investment that pays for itself very quickly. By providing a ticket into warehouse automation for a relatively low investment, small businesses now have the option to keep their operations in-house instead of requiring a 3PL or significant real estate and labor investments to scale up.

Q: How does Pio adapt to the target market?
A: Traditional enterprise software suites are complex and time-consuming to implement for SMBs, who need agile, lean, user-friendly, self-supported, and future-proof solutions. Pio adapts to tech stack of SMBs, connecting individual, best-in-class software through simple plugins and APIs.

Q: Is Pio sustainable?
A: Pio is more sustainable than traditional methods of expansion. By making existing spaces more efficient, fewer warehouses will need to be built and those that are can be on a smaller footprint. And those warehouses can stay in more centralized locations too — reducing the number of long-haul shipments.

Q: Who owns Pio?
A: Pio is owned 100 percent by our parent company, AutoStore

Q: Is Pio going to be a competitor to AutoStore’s partners?
A: On the contrary. To begin with, Pio is targeting a customer segment that is not covered by AutoStore’s partners today. Pio will in fact act as a "lead generator" for the partners. As customers grow and their warehousing business becomes more complicated, it will gradually become relevant for them to invest in expanding their system by investing in additional AutoStore modules in the usual way via the partners.

Q: Where is Pio headquarters?
A: In Stavanger, Norway, and New York City.