RobCo

What they do

RobCo builds industrial robots from modular hardware kits: joints, links and end effectors that can be combined into an arm suited to a specific job. Hardware and software are developed together as one system that integrates perception, motion planning and self-learning. Instead of manual programming, robots learn tasks through demonstration. Typical applications are machine tending (loading and unloading CNC machines), palletising, dispensing and welding.

Why it matters

Germany has one of the world's highest robot densities, but mostly in large car plants. The small and mid-sized manufacturers of the Mittelstand often lack the engineers and volumes to justify a classic robot cell. RobCo's model addresses both barriers: modular hardware lowers the cost of fitting a robot to a task, and a robotics-as-a-service subscription turns a capital purchase into an operating expense. Customers named in 2026 coverage include BMW, T-Systems, the connector maker Rosenberger, DynaEnergetics and the US firm Fabricated Extrusion Company.

Products to know

• Modular robot kits configured per application.
• Integrated software platform with learning from demonstration.

The German angle

RobCo was founded in Munich in 2020 by Roman Hölzl, Paul Maroldt and Constantin Dresel, who had worked as research associates at the Technical University of Munich's chair of robotics and AI. It has operated in the US since 2025 with sites in San Francisco and Austin, a sign that German industrial automation start-ups now see America's reshoring wave as their largest market. Deployment counts were not disclosed in its Series C announcements. In early 2026 it raised a 100 million US dollar Series C co-led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Lingotto Innovation, with Sequoia Capital among the participants.

Sources

• Munich Startup: RobCo Series C
• Rocking Robots: RobCo secures 100 million
• Computer and Automation: RobCo 100 million