TLD Robotics Launched as ALVEST Group Acquires EasyMile and TractEasy

CHICAGO, USA – SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 – TLD Robotics, an ALVEST company dedicated to autonomous ground operations, today announced its launch. Comprising EasyMile, TractEasy and TLD's driverless activities, the company marks a strategic milestone following ALVEST’s acquisition of technology leader EasyMile. It brings together autonomous software, industrial vehicle capacity, deployment expertise and customer support in a single, integrated business built to deploy autonomous operations at scale.

Announced at the GSE Expo Europe, the unified structure offers customers a dedicated partner that develops both the vehicles and software as one to plan, build, deploy and scale autonomous operations across airports and industrial sites worldwide. Led by Richard Reno as Chief Executive Officer, TLD Robotics operates under the ALVEST Group and brings together capabilities that previously existed across EasyMile and TLD, and were deployed commercially via the TractEasy joint venture.

The launch follows almost a decade of collaboration between TLD and EasyMile. Together, they saw an opportunity to advance beyond basic vehicle automation to fundamentally change how baggage, cargo and materials move across airports and industrial facilities. That vision has grown into more than 35 operations across 10 countries and more than 50,000 autonomous missions in real-world operations. Many of these sites now run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring continuous operations. With its fleet tripling every year, TLD Robotics is now more than a year ahead of previous projections, demonstrating the market’s accelerating shift toward autonomous technology.

“When TLD and EasyMile began working together in 2017, autonomous GSE was still seen as a future concept,” said Richard Reno, CEO of TLD Robotics. “We saw the opportunity in structured environments like airports and logistics hubs early and have turned that vision into a proven business. Since creating TractEasy three years ago, we have scaled tenfold. With TLD Robotics bringing the same vehicles, teams and proven deployment record under one name, backed by a strong industrial base, we now have the platform and ambition to scale another 10x over the coming years.”

Built on operational experience

Few companies in autonomous mobility have accumulated the level of operational experience now brought together within TLD Robotics.
Today the company supports autonomous operations across:

• 35+ operations
• 15+ airports
• 20+ industrial
• 10+ countries
• 50,000+ autonomous missions

Its customers include dnata, BMW Group Dingolfing, Daimler Truck AG, Bosch, John Deere, Munich and Narita Airports, and Lufthansa Cargo while a global network of engineering, deployment and customer support teams provides local expertise across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
That experience has shaped not only the company's technology, but also its understanding of how autonomy is successfully deployed, integrated and supported in live operational environments.

Industry-first capabilities

As the market matures, customers are looking for more than testing. They want a single partner capable of designing, deploying and supporting complete autonomous operations at scale. Every capability required to deliver autonomy at scale sits within one organization:

• Supervision Software to optimize and coordinate autonomous missions at the fleet level, while managing the integration in the traffic and its environment. Benefitting from XOPS expertise, the supervision software is deeply integrated in the airport environment
• On-Board Software to help each vehicle perceive, move and respond safely in real time.
• Purpose-built vehicle platforms, designed for demanding airport and industrial environments and fully integrated with the software to manage an integrated safety concept.
• Fleet & Operation Management to supervise, orchestrate and optimize live autonomous operations.
• Industrial manufacturing and service capabilities of TLD, the world’s GSE largest manufacturer with 12 factories in 7 countries.
• Integrated R&D across software, hardware, supervision & fleet management and next-generation autonomous solutions.

 

Ready for the next phase

The launch of TLD Robotics reflects the evolution of the autonomous vehicle market. Over the past decade, autonomous technology has progressed from early demonstrations to commercial deployments, while airports and industrial operators have placed greater emphasis on improving safety, addressing labor shortages and increasing operational efficiency.

Backed by ALVEST's financial stability, global manufacturing footprint and long-term outlook, TLD Robotics is uniquely positioned to accelerate the deployment of autonomous solutions for airports, logistics and industrial applications while continuing to develop the next generation of autonomous vehicle platforms.
“Automation is the future of our business,” said Valentin Schmitt, President & CEO of ALVEST. “Every operator we work with faces the same pressures: safety, labor availability, cost and decarbonization. Autonomy addresses them all and is a natural extension of our Leaner & Greener strategy. ALVEST brings the long-term ambition, industrial strength and financial capacity to deploy at scale. Our customers are not buying a pilot; they are investing in decades of operations - and that is the timeframe ALVEST is built for.”

TLD Robotics maintains and executes all business engagements and deployments previously attributed to the TractEasy name.



About TLD Robotics

TLD Robotics develops fully driverless ground support equipment (GSE) vehicles and fleet management technology for airport and industrial operations. Its autonomous tow tractors and cargo-handling vehicles are engineered to move materials across complex operational routes, indoors and outdoors. Combining a decade of autonomy expertise with TLD’s industrial manufacturing capabilities and global support network, TLD Robotics unifies autonomous vehicle technology, deployment, and ongoing service through one accountable organization. Its vehicles operate at more than 35 active sites across more than 10 countries across four continents and have completed more than 50,000 fully autonomous missions. TLD Robotics helps customers automate material movement safely, reliably, and at scale.

tld-robotics.com