Theker, an AI robotics startup based in Barcelona, has raised $85 million in what it calls "Europe's largest robotics Series A." The round was led by US VC firm CRV and received support from strategic investors including Samsung and Aglaé Ventures, the investment vehicle of LVMH Chairman Bernard Arnault.
Unlike humanoid robots designed with fixed forms, Theker's machines are built to be reconfigurable. Hands, arms, and overall shape can be swapped out or resized depending on the task: sorting packages, packing clothes, or handling bottles and cans in a warehouse.
"If you always have to put the same cookie in the same box, that works perfectly, but most processes don't," said co-founder Carla Gómez Cano. This generalist approach targets the complex realities of modern manufacturing where flexibility is essential.
Zara's parent company Inditex has signed on as an early sponsor, signaling where Theker's ambitions begin. The company's broader goal is to move beyond retail into heavier industrial environments such as manufacturing.
The Barcelona startup plans to open showrooms across Europe, the US, and Asia as it expands. The team is expected to grow from a few dozen people to up to 120 by the end of the year, with 15,000 job applications already received.
