Brooks Automation weighs IPO as semiconductor automation sector heats up

Brooks Automation, the robotics and software company that keeps semiconductor fabs running, is reportedly considering a return to public markets. The company’s private equity backer, Thomas H. Lee Partners, is exploring an initial public offering, though no timeline, valuation target, or exchange has been disclosed. Here’s the thing: this isn’t some scrappy startup looking for its first taste of public capital. Brooks was already a public company before THL carved out its Semiconductor Solutions Group in a $3 billion all-cash deal announced in September 2021. That transaction closed in the first half of 2022. Why semiconductor automation matters beyond the fab floor Brooks Automation builds the robotic handling systems and software that move silicon wafers through the absurdly precise manufacturing process required to produce modern chips. Global semiconductor sales are projected to approach $1 trillion by 2030, and every dollar of chip revenue requires supporting infrastructure, including the automation equipment Brooks specializes in. The THL playbook and what it signals Thomas H. Lee Partners is a Boston-based private equity firm with a long track record in leveraged buyouts acr...