Nikon is selling off the robotics company that it bought a decade ago as the camera giant said that it “reconsidered its business portfolio.” In a statement released last week, the imaging giant announced that it is selling all of its shares of Mark Roberts Motion Control Limited (MMRC), a robotic camera control company that Nikon purchased in 2016.
MMRC creates robotics that control camera movement for broadcast, cinema, and product photography; the company manufactures all of its products in the UK.
After Nikon acquired 100 percent of the shares in October 2016, the company has now agreed to sell its shares to MRMC Bidco Limited, which is owned by the investment firm Blandford Capital LLP, also based in the UK.
“Since acquiring 100% of MRMC's shares in October 2016, Nikon has been developing business by utilizing MRMC's robotic motion control solution together with Nikon's imaging related technologies and its broad sales channels,” Nikon wrote in the announcement.
“This time, Nikon has reconsidered its business portfolio. As a result, Nikon has concluded that transferring all of its shares in MRMC to MRMC Bidco Limited is the most appropriate course of action, and has entered into this agreement.”
Nikon didn’t delve any further into the reason behind the sale.
While it’s not unusual for companies to buy and sell other smaller companies, robotic camera tech is arguably more relevant to Nikon in 2026 than it was in 2016 when the company first bought all the shares. Nikon now owns the cinema company RED, and those MRMC robotic camera arms feel far more relevant to RED cinema cameras that they do to Nikon’s mirrorless cameras.
MRMC has not yet publicly commented on the change.
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