Seal Robotics has closed a pre-seed funding round of approximately €1.8 million ($2.1 million). The Creator Fund led the round, with participation from Auxxo, January Ventures, Marvelous, and Stefan Tietze.
Founded in 2025 robotics-Startup develops SystemsSeal Robotics automates clearly defined, safety-critical, and previously manually performed processes in terminal logistics. The team focuses on tasks that put a strain on terminals operating under high time pressure and with an increasing shortage of skilled workers. Seal Robotics aims to support operators in making processes more stable and predictable while simultaneously increasing occupational safety and reliability.
Solution for twistlock and pin handling
With this capital, Seal Robotics will expand ongoing pilot projects in Northern Europe and Southeast Asia. At the same time, the company is preparing to launch its first robotic systems for twistlock and pin handling. Both processes are among the most dangerous tasks currently performed manually when securing containers on ships and trains.
Marie-Elisabeth Makohl, CEO of Seal Robotics, says:
“During my time on a container ship in the European Arctic and the North Atlantic, I experienced firsthand how physically demanding and time-critical securing containers is. As a robotics engineer from the Technical University of Munich, this fact convinced me that robotics should be deployed precisely where it has the greatest impact in daily terminal operations. With the current funding, we are focusing on making these processes more robust, both for the employees on site and for the entire operation.”
Daniel Leidner, CTO of Seal Robotics, adds:
“After fifteen years in space robotics at the German Aerospace Center (DLR), I learned to develop systems that function reliably under difficult conditions and can be operated safely remotely. Many of these principles can be directly applied to terminals. Robotics and AI have now reached a level of maturity that allows clearly defined processes such as twistlock and pin handling to be automated with consistent quality.”
Next planned steps
Over the next twelve months, Seal Robotics plans to expand its engineering and operations and deepen partnerships with terminal operators worldwide. The goal is to meet the growing demand for reliable, safe, and predictable automation in container handling. That this mission is hitting a nerve is also something Seal Robotics believes. Jamie Macfarlane, CEO of the Creator Fund:
“Seal Robotics is a first-class team tackling a critical, long-neglected problem in global logistics. Despite the enormous importance of container traffic, many processes in terminals are still performed manually. Marie-Elisabeth experienced this challenge firsthand during her travels on container ships. Daniel is one of the leading robotics experts in Germany and brings extensive experience from his work at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Together, they are bringing state-of-the-art robotics to terminals to modernize processes that have barely changed for decades.”
