In addition to Sequoia Capital, the 13 million euro round includes Kindred Capital from London, Promus Ventures from Chicago, Helsing co-founder Torsten Reil, entrepreneur Daniel Dines, and Christian Reber, partner at Frank Thelen’s investment firm Freigeist. Freigeist already invested a seven-figure amount in Robco last year. The startup was founded in 2020 by Roman Hölzl, Paul Maroldt, and Constantin Dresel. The founders previously worked together as research associates at the Chair of Robotics and AI at TUM.
Robco: Industrial robots as easy to set up as a WiFi router
Robco enables small and medium-sized manufacturing companies to operate automated robots with ease. The robots are configured and operated using a proprietary cloud software platform tailored to each application. By deploying automated robots, mid-sized companies can address their skilled labor shortage. According to Gründerszene, investor Frank Thelen explains:
“Anyone who wants to operate robotic systems typically has to build them themselves or with partner firms, which is time-consuming and expensive.”
With the software kit from the Munich-based company, industrial robots can be programmed simply and efficiently. Thelen compares the application to configuring a WiFi router at home. According to new investor Sequoia, setting up a Robco system should take just one or two days instead of months and be significantly cheaper than comparable alternatives.
