468 Capital is leading Cartken’s funding round, joined by Incubate Fund, deep-tech and AI funds LDV Partners and Vela Partners. Leading mobility companies such as Magna International, Mitsubishi Electric, Shell Ventures, and Volex are also investing.
Cartken focuses on autonomous delivery robots. The startup’s technology combines artificial intelligence and computer vision to enable robots to operate seamlessly both indoors and outdoors. The system allows multiple vehicle types to safely navigate around pedestrians and employees, as well as participate in delivery traffic with cars and other vehicles. With the new funding, Cartken plans to further improve this autonomous driving technology and deepen partnerships with major companies.
“This investment accelerates Cartken’s path toward a future where autonomous driving technology is ubiquitous across most transportation applications,”
said Christian Bersch, co-founder and CEO of Cartken, adding:
“Our mission is to make this new technology accessible to companies across all industries so they can automate their operations, improve productivity, and ensure the safety of their employees.”
Bernhard Janke and Bardo Droege, partners at 468 Capital, comment on the funding:
“Cartken’s approach to autonomous navigation systems will revolutionize industrial automation and last-mile delivery. We are excited to support a team that combines deep technical expertise with a clear vision for the future of autonomous unmanned vehicles from and for Europe. We believe that Cartken’s approach gives us a clear view into the future.”
Since its launch, Cartken has completed hundreds of thousands of deliveries, averaging 36,000 per month according to its own figures. The Munich-based startup supplies some of the largest companies in the OEM, biotechnology, pharma, and chemical industries in the USA, Germany, Denmark, and Japan. Additionally, the young company’s technology is already fully integrated into delivery platforms such as Uber Eats and Grubhub. Recently, the robotics startup commenced operations in Tokyo and has established partnerships with Uber Eats and Mitsubishi Electric there.
