level: business
theker, an ai robotics startup from barcelona, raised $85 million in what it calls europe's largest robotics series a. the round was led by crv with participation from samsung and aglaé ventures. the company builds robots that can be reconfigured for different jobs by swapping hands, arms, and other parts. this lets them handle varied tasks like sorting packages, packing clothes, or moving bottles without being limited to a single function.
the startup targets factories and warehouses facing labor shortages. instead of running small pilots, theker works directly with logistics and operations teams to deploy robots quickly. early backer inditex, parent of zara, shows initial interest from retail, but theker plans to move into heavier manufacturing. the company has a showroom in barcelona and will expand across europe, the u.s., and asia while growing its team from dozens to around 120 people by year end.
co-founder carla gómez cano said the team skips innovation departments to focus on real deals with shorter timelines. the funding, which doubled the original target, reinforces theker's decision to stay headquartered in barcelona, a growing robotics hub. the startup is in advanced talks with samsung to potentially become a customer, supplier, and investor, which would boost revenue and credibility in large-scale manufacturing.
why it matters: reconfigurable robots could speed up automation in factories and warehouses, helping companies adapt to changing tasks without needing separate machines for each job.