Barcelona-based AI robotics outfit Theker raises $85M

Overview

Theker, a Barcelona robotics startup, raised $85 million in a Series A round the company calls the largest robotics Series A ever in Europe. US venture firm CRV led the round, with first-time Spanish bets from Samsung and LVMH joining alongside returning backer Inditex, the parent of Zara. The funding brings Theker's total raised to about $106 million since the company started in 2022, and the cash will fund more industrial deployments and a hiring push toward 120 staff.

Key Takeaways

Theker raised an $85 million Series A led by US firm CRV, ranked by the company as the largest robotics Series A in European history.
The round drew first-ever Spanish investments from CRV, Samsung, and LVMH, signaling growing global appetite for Barcelona's robotics scene.
Theker builds AI-native generalist robots with swappable hands and arms that adapt to changing tasks instead of being locked to one job.
The robots already run inside live Inditex production facilities, putting Theker past the pilot stage that stalls many robotics firms.
Total funding now sits near $106 million, following an 18 million euro seed in July 2025 that set a Spanish early-stage record.
Theker plans to grow from dozens of employees to as many as 120 by year-end after receiving 15,000 job applications.

Stats & Key Facts

#$85 million Series A funding round, the largest robotics Series A in Europe per the company.
#About $106 million in total funding raised since the 2022 founding.
#18 million euro seed round closed in July 2025, a Spanish early-stage record.
#Plans to scale from dozens of staff to as many as 120 people by year-end.
#15,000 job applications received as the company hires across engineering and deployment roles.
#Founded in 2022, the company reached this Series A in under four years.

Largest European robotics Series A pulls in CRV, Samsung, and LVMH

The $85 million round stands out both for its size and for the names backing it.

›US venture firm CRV led the round, its first investment in a Spanish company.
›Samsung joined in its first bet on a Spanish startup and is in advanced talks to become a customer too.
›LVMH backed the deal through Aglaé Ventures, the investment vehicle tied to chairman Bernard Arnault, marking its first move into the Spanish startup market.
›Cathay Innovation, 20VC, Henkel Ventures, Bright Pixel Capital, and Korelya also took part.
›Returning investors Inditex, Kibo Ventures, and Kfund added to earlier stakes.

Generalist robots with swappable arms replace single-task machines

Theker's core pitch is a robot built to change jobs rather than do one job forever.

Traditional industrial robots are rigid and task-specific, expensive to reprogram whenever a product or process shifts. Theker designs its machines for reconfiguration, with swappable hands, arms, and adjustable forms so one robot handles different work. The robots use AI to adapt in real time to irregular product types, variable packaging, and changing conditions without manual reprogramming.

Co-founder Carla Gomez Cano framed the problem in plain terms, noting that putting the same cookie in the same box works fine, but most real processes are not that predictable. The machines take on jobs such as sorting packages, packing clothing, and handling bottles and cans in warehouses. The company contrasts its swappable approach with fixed-form humanoid robots.

Robots already running inside live Inditex facilities

Theker points to real deployment as proof it has moved past testing.

Theker's robots operate inside live Inditex production facilities, a level of real-world use the company says few robotics firms worldwide have reached. Inditex, the parent of Zara, is both a customer and an investor, having backed the startup early. Gomez Cano has said the team did not build Theker to run pilots.

To win business, the founders target logistics and operations teams rather than corporate innovation departments, arguing those deals are concrete and move faster. The company aims to expand from retail logistics into heavier industrial manufacturing over time.

Target markets span logistics, retail, food, and waste handling

Theker positions its robots across several labor-heavy industries.

›Logistics and warehouse operations, where package sorting and handling dominate.
›Retail, including clothing packing tied to its Inditex work.
›Food and beverage, such as managing bottles and cans.
›Waste management, another setting with variable and unpredictable items.
›Samsung sits in advanced discussions as a potential client, though it is not yet a customer.

From record seed to $106 million in under four years

The Series A continues a fast funding climb for the young company.

Theker started in 2022, co-founded by Carla Gomez Cano and engineer Jiaqiang Ye Zhu. In July 2025 it closed an 18 million euro seed round described as the largest early-stage round in Spanish startup history. Less than a year later, the $85 million Series A pushed total funding to roughly $106 million.

The company plans to use the new capital to accelerate deployments with industrial operators, deepen its proprietary AI and robotics technology, and grow its team across software, electronics, mechanical engineering, and deployment roles.

Hiring surge and showroom expansion across three continents

Headcount and physical presence are set to grow with the new funding.

›The company employs dozens of people today and plans to reach as many as 120 by year-end.
›It has received roughly 15,000 job applications during the hiring push.
›Theker operates a showroom in central Barcelona, a recognized robotics hub.
›Plans call for additional locations across Europe, the US, and Asia.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much did Theker raise and who led the round?

Theker raised an $85 million Series A led by US venture firm CRV. The company calls it the largest robotics Series A ever raised in Europe.

What makes Theker's robots different from regular factory robots?

Theker builds AI-native generalist robots with swappable hands and arms that reconfigure to handle different tasks. Traditional industrial robots are locked to a single job and costly to reprogram when conditions change.

Are Theker's robots being used in the real world yet?

Yes. The robots already operate inside live Inditex production facilities, which is the parent company of Zara and also an investor in Theker.

Why is the involvement of Samsung and LVMH notable?

The round marked the first Spanish investments for CRV, Samsung, and LVMH. Samsung is also in advanced talks to become a Theker customer, not only an investor.

What will Theker do with the money?

The company plans to accelerate deployments with industrial operators, advance its AI and robotics technology, and grow its team to as many as 120 people by year-end.

Theker's $85 million round shows growing investor confidence in robots that adapt to messy, real-world industrial work rather than one fixed task. With live deployments at Inditex and backing from Samsung and LVMH, the Barcelona startup enters its next phase already past the pilot stage that holds back many peers.