Theker raises $85M for a general-purpose factory robot
▼ Summary
– Theker is an AI robotics startup building reconfigurable machines with swappable hands, arms, and forms, designed for varied tasks like sorting packages and handling bottles, rather than single-purpose robots.
– Inditex, parent company of Zara, is an early backer of Theker, signaling the startup’s initial focus on retail before expanding into heavier industrial manufacturing.
– Theker has raised $85 million in a Series A round, led by CRV and backed by Samsung and Aglaé Ventures, described as Europe’s largest ever robotics Series A.
– The startup avoids pilot programs, going directly to logistics or operations teams to secure real deals with shorter timelines.
– Theker plans to open showrooms across Europe, the U.S., and Asia, and grow its headcount from dozens to up to 120 people by year-end.
Factory automation is in high demand, but humanoid robots still aren’t ready for widespread deployment. Manufacturers, grappling with persistent labor shortages, are increasingly turning to startups that can deliver faster, more flexible automation without the typical compromises. This is precisely the opportunity that Theker, an AI robotics startup, is targeting with a fresh $85 million funding round.
Theker’s approach is distinct because it rejects the idea of a robot built for a single, repetitive task. As co-founder Carla Gómez Cano explained to TechCrunch, “If you always have to put the same cookie in the same box, that works perfectly, but most processes aren’t like that.” Instead, Theker builds machines that can be reconfigured for different jobs. Their hands, arms, and overall form can be swapped or resized, allowing the same robot to sort packages, pack clothing, or handle bottles and cans in a warehouse.
The company’s ambitions are already validated by early backing from Inditex, the parent company of Zara. But the goal is much broader: to move beyond retail into heavier industrial settings like manufacturing, where manual tasks are more complex and scaling automation is even more critical.
That generalist vision has helped Theker become one of Europe’s most closely watched startups. The Barcelona-based company has just raised $85 million in what it calls “Europe’s largest ever robotics Series A.” According to TechCrunch’s records, no larger round has been found. The round was led by American VC firm CRV, with participation from strategic investors including Samsung and Aglaé Ventures, the investment vehicle tied to LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault.
Gómez Cano noted that while Samsung is not yet a client, the two are in advanced discussions. She would welcome the Korean giant as a customer, supplier, and investor simultaneously, a rare trifecta that would bring Theker both revenue and manufacturing credibility at scale.
Theker is not interested in small-scale pilots. “We didn’t build Theker to run pilots,” Gómez Cano said. The team skips innovation departments and goes straight to logistics or operations, where deals are real and timelines are shorter. To prove it can deliver, Theker has opened a showroom in central Barcelona and plans to expand to other locations across Europe, the U. S., and Asia. The company will also grow its headcount across tech, deployment, and sales.
The response from the job market has been overwhelming. “We already received 15,000 job applications and have to filter like crazy,” Gómez Cano said. She estimated the team could grow from dozens to up to 120 people by year-end, then added with a laugh, “I am saying that, but I also said that we’d raise $30 or $40 million!”
Raising more than double its original target has also reinforced Theker’s commitment to keeping its headquarters in Barcelona, a rising robotics hub. “It has never been a barrier to acceleration for us, so we are making the most of it,” Gómez Cano said.
(Source: TechCrunch)
