Robco Raises $13.8M to Bring Modular Robots to Small Manufacturers
Munich-based startup Robco secures €13 million in a Sequoia-led Series A to expand its modular robotics platform for small and medium industrial businesses. The company offers a robotics-as-a-service model to help SMBs scale productivity without buying expensive equipment.
Munich-based startup Robco raises €13 million (about $13.8 million) in a Series A round led by Sequoia to expand its low-cost modular robotics platform for small and medium industrial businesses. As the U.S. and Europe push to bring manufacturing back to their own shores, Robco aims to help smaller factories scale their operations. The funding round also includes participation from Kindred Capital, Promus Ventures, and several individual investors.
Robco operates on a robotics-as-a-service model where clients order specific tasks and the company delivers the automation without requiring the SMBs to purchase the robots outright. The startup currently offers modules focused on lathe turning, laser engraving, and palletizing, while keeping the physical robots on its own balance sheet so they can be reconditioned and reused for other clients later.
The company plans to use the new capital to develop additional modules for milling and quality inspection, while also eyeing geographical expansion into the United States. By targeting smaller manufacturers that struggle with labor shortages and cannot afford the $250,000 custom systems built for larger industrial clients, Robco carves out a unique niche in the crowded automation market to address cost-effective productivity scaling.