Theker Raises $85M for Modular Factory Robots That Adapt to Multiple Tasks
Barcelona-based robotics startup Theker closes Europe's largest robotics Series A, betting on reconfigurable machines over single-task humanoids.
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Theker, a Barcelona-based robotics startup, closed an $85 million Series A funding round led by venture capital firm CRV, positioning the company to scale reconfigurable factory robots across Europe, the U.S., and Asia. According to TechCrunch, the round represents Europe’s largest robotics Series A to date. The funding comes less than a year after a record seed round and includes backing from Samsung and Aglaé Ventures, the investment vehicle of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault.
The Modular Robot Bet
Unlike humanoid robots engineered around a fixed morphology—such as Boston Dynamics’ designs—Theker’s machines are built for mechanical flexibility. According to co-founder Carla Gómez Cano, the startup’s approach addresses a real manufacturing problem: most warehouse and factory tasks are not repetitive in the way a cookie-packing operation is. Theker’s robots can have their hands, arms, and overall body proportions swapped or resized to handle different workloads—from package sorting to garment packing to beverage container handling—without complete hardware redesign.
This generalist strategy contrasts with the specialized-task focus of many competitors. Gómez Cano noted to TechCrunch that Theker “didn’t build Theker to run pilots,” instead targeting logistics and operations departments directly where “deals are real and timelines are shorter.”
Strategic Investors Signal Manufacturing Confidence
The involvement of Samsung marks a potential inflection point for Theker’s credibility in industrial automation. According to TechCrunch, Gómez Cano said Samsung is not yet a customer but that the two companies are in advanced discussions. Samsung’s simultaneous role as customer, supplier, and investor would provide Theker both immediate revenue and manufacturing-scale validation.
Inditex—the parent company of fast-fashion retailer Zara—signed on as an early backer, signaling initial traction in retail logistics. However, Theker views that market as a starting point; the company’s longer-term ambition centers on heavier industrial settings where task complexity and manual labor volume are greater.
Execution and Headcount Expansion
The startup is backing its ambitions with operational footprint. Theker operates a showroom in central Barcelona and plans to expand with additional locations as it moves into Europe, the U.S., and Asia. Gómez Cano told TechCrunch the team has received 15,000 job applications and aims to grow from dozens of employees to up to 120 by year-end, though she acknowledged prior underestimation of funding targets.
Why This Matters
Theker’s $85 million raise and Samsung’s strategic interest suggest investor appetite for modular, task-agnostic factory automation is reaching institutional maturity. For manufacturing operations facing labor shortages, the ability to reconfigure a single robot platform across multiple processes reduces both capital expenditure and deployment friction compared to specialized single-task systems. If Theker’s modular design proves operationally robust in Inditex and Samsung deployments, the company could accelerate the timeline for humanoid-adjacent robotics adoption in logistics hubs—a category where vendors have struggled to move beyond pilot programs into production deployment at scale.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Theker's robots different from other factory automation?
Theker's machines have swappable hands, arms, and body configurations, allowing them to handle multiple tasks like package sorting, clothing packing, and bottle handling without redesign—unlike fixed-form humanoids optimized for single tasks.
Who is backing Theker and why?
CRV led the Series A, with strategic investors including Samsung and Aglaé Ventures (LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault's investment vehicle). Samsung is in advanced discussions to become a customer, supplier, and investor simultaneously.
Where will Theker focus deployment?
The startup is targeting logistics and operations departments directly—avoiding innovation pilots—with initial expansion across Europe, the U.S., and Asia, starting from its Barcelona headquarters and showroom.