ARX Robotics, a Munich-based startup specializing in scalable robotic systems for defense and commercial use, has successfully raised €9 million in seed funding. This is the largest seed funding round ever for a European DefenseTech company, highlighting the growing importance of advanced technology in modern warfare.
The substantial investment will be utilized to expand ARX Robotics’ team and enhance production capabilities across Europe. Led by the NATO Innovation Fund, with additional support from Project A Ventures and Discovery Ventures, this funding positions ARX to significantly contribute to European technological resilience and sovereignty.
Europe and its Western allies currently face a significant gap in autonomous unmanned systems, which are crucial for future-proofing armed forces in an evolving technological landscape. ARX Robotics aims to bridge this gap with its robust and scalable solutions designed to support and protect troops during mission-critical tasks.
At the core of ARX Robotics’ offerings is the modular GEREON unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) series. These UGVs can be customized for various defense scenarios, including live-fire training, transport and medical evacuation, and specialized reconnaissance missions. The modular design allows for flexibility, enabling mission-specific add-ons and payload solutions.
Marc Wietfeld, CEO and Co-Founder of ARX Robotics, emphasized the urgency of their mission: “The armies of Western democracies are not prepared for robotic warfare. To significantly enhance the capabilities of our armed forces and serve as a force multiplier, an interconnected critical mass of autonomous unmanned ground systems is required. These systems must be simple to manufacture in a decentralized manner and deployable in critical mass. ARX is committed to contributing to European technological sovereignty by scaling up the production of these systems, generating software-defined systems, and developing adaptive hardware to meet the demand for robust and autonomous unmanned systems.”
ARX Robotics was founded by a team of soldiers-turned-entrepreneurs, including Marc Wietfeld, Stefan Röbel, and Maximilian Wied. Their combined military knowledge, engineering skills, and business acumen have driven the development of innovative and practical robotic solutions.
Chris O’Connor from the NATO Innovation Fund expressed strong support for ARX’s mission: “We are honored to support ARX and to help them scale production across Europe. As the need to prepare for a future of unmanned warfare continues, ground autonomy remains a difficult problem to solve. Informed by insights from serving in the armed forces, the team at ARX has developed a leading, cost-effective, modular ground system that can be mass-produced and easily deployed in defense, humanitarian crises, and beyond.”
Uwe Horstmann from Project A Ventures also highlighted ARX’s potential: “We believed in ARX’s potential early on when we supported their ideation process in our Studio and subsequently led their pre-seed round. Autonomous robots will be a game changer in terms of increasing safety, efficiency, and capabilities. The team has demonstrated a remarkable ability to address robust and modular ground robotics at scale in dual-use scenarios for both government and civil customers.”
With this significant funding boost, ARX Robotics is well on its way to revolutionizing the landscape of European defense technology. Their scalable, modular robotic systems not only promise to enhance military capabilities but also offer versatile applications in various civilian sectors.
