Arx Robotics, formerly Arx Landsysteme, is a manufacturer of scalable robotic systems for use in military and commercial applications. The NATO Innovation Fund is leading the now-completed financing round. At nine million euros, it is the largest seed financing round for a European startup in the defence technology sector to date.
The centerpiece of Arx is the modular Gereon family of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). These can be equipped for various military scenarios, including firing exercises and simulations, transport and medical evacuation, or sensor applications for reconnaissance missions. Several European armies are already using the Gereon robots, including armed forces from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, and Ukraine.
Marc Wietfeld, CEO and co-founder of Arx, explains:
“The armies of Western democracies are not prepared for robot-based warfare. To significantly improve the capabilities of our armed forces, a networked critical mass of autonomous unmanned ground systems is required that can be manufactured simply and decentrally. Arx has set itself the goal of contributing to Europe’s technological sovereignty. This is to be achieved through the development of software-defined systems and the manufacture of adaptable hardware to meet the demand for robust and autonomous unmanned systems.”
Arx plans to expand production in Europe
Arx was founded by former soldiers. The founding team, consisting of Marc Wietfeld, Stefan Röbel, and Maximilian Wied, combines military knowledge, technical expertise, and entrepreneurial experience. With the funds from the new financing round, the startup plans to expand its team and production capacity in Europe. In addition to the NATO Innovation Fund as lead investor, Project A Ventures and Discovery Ventures also support Arx’s mission.
Chris O’Connor from the NATO Innovation Fund comments on the financing:
“The war in Ukraine has shown that unmanned warfare is a future we must prepare for. While enormous progress has been made with drones, autonomy on the ground remains a difficult problem to solve. The Arx team has developed a cost-effective, modular ground system that can be mass-produced and used in both military and civilian applications. Their experience with armed forces and their sense of urgency in providing a solution to their customers make them a leading company in this field. We are honored to support Arx in this financing round so the company can expand its production across Europe.”
And Uwe Horstmann from Project A Ventures adds:
“We were convinced of Arx early on, when we already supported the company’s ideation process in our studio and then led their pre-seed round. Autonomous robots will fundamentally change the world in terms of security and efficiency. The team has demonstrated a remarkable ability to develop robust and modular ground robots at scale for dual-use scenarios for both government and civilian customers.”
