Bernard Arnault, LVMH chairman and one of the world's wealthiest investors, has backed Theker, a Barcelona-based robotics startup that raised $85 million in what is Europe's largest robotics Series A funding round. His investment vehicle Aglaé Ventures joins a cap table that includes Samsung and CRV.
Theker's robots differ from existing factory machines. Unlike Boston Dynamics' humanoid models, Theker's bots are built to be reconfigured on the fly. Swap out the hands, resize the arms, reshape the chassis — whatever the job demands. One day they're sorting packages, the next they're packing Zara clothing. Inditex, Zara's parent company, is already an early backer.
"If you always have to put the same cookie in the same box, that works perfectly, but most processes aren't like that," co-founder Carla Gómez Cano told TechCrunch. The startup's robots are designed for environments where tasks vary.
Theker's ambitions extend beyond retail. Manufacturing, warehouses, and heavy industrial work are where the larger market lies. Samsung is in "advanced discussions" as a potential client, supplier, and investor simultaneously.
The Barcelona team initially aimed to raise $30-40 million. They more than doubled that target. "I said we'd raise $30 or $40 million!" Gómez Cano laughed.
The startup is hiring rapidly. It received 15,000 job applications and plans to grow from dozens of employees to 120 by year-end. The company has opened a showroom in central Barcelona and is eyeing expansion across Europe, the U.S., and Asia.
