By 2023 standards, European robotics startups are having a good year.
The sector has picked up $2bn in 2023 so far, according to Dealroom, falling only slightly from the $2.6bn and $2.4bn raised during the boom years of 2021 and 2022. Across European tech as a whole, funding has dropped more than 40% this year.
The sector has seen a handful of nine-figure raises in 2023, with Birmingham-based autonomous vehicle (AV) company Conigital picking up the biggest of the year, bagging a $400m Series A in September.
Compatriot CMR Surgical raised $165m and Switzerland’s Distalmotion brought in $150m — with both looking to expand their surgery robotics businesses. UK-based AV scaleup Oxbotica also raised a $140m Series C.
So which robotics startups have seen the biggest headcount growth across a positive 2023 for the sector? Sifted digs into data from Dealroom to find out. Startups needed to have raised $50m or more and have over 10 employees to make the list.
Moon Surgical
Moon Surgical’s robotic surgical assistant, Maestro, help surgeons during minimally invasive soft tissue surgery.
Its robotic arm and operating system as-a-service received permission to sell its products in Europe in September, and it’s also awaiting FDA approval to launch in the US. It expects a limited market release in 2024 before a larger commercial launch the following year.
Moon has raised $92.1m since 2019, including a $55.4m round in May this year, featuring investors such as Sofinnova Partners and Nvidia.
Founded: 2019
HQ: Paris, France
Team growth last 12 months: 92% to 46 employees
Total funding: $92.1m
Quantum Systems
Quantum Systems makes drones for both governments and commercial clients. In 2023, the company secured a contract with the German Armed Forces to provide reconnaissance drones.
It last raised in a €63.6m Series B funding round in October this year, and is backed by investors including HV Capital, Project A and Thiel Capital.
Founded: 2015
HQ: Gilching, Germany
Team growth last 12 months: 66% to 144 employees
Total funding: $124m
ANYbotics
ANYbotics has built a four-legged robot — which it called ANYmal — to help with industrial inspections in the oil and gas sectors.
It raised $50m in Series B funding in May this year, from backers including Bessemer Venture Partners and Swisscom Ventures.
Founded: 2016
HQ: Zurich, Switzerland
Team growth last 12 months: 67% to 167 employees
Total funding: $72.3m
Ecorobotix
Ecorobotics is an agritech startup that sells robots to farmers to automate crop spraying. The company is currently active in 15 European markets and plans to use its $52m May 2023 raise to expand to the Americas.
It counts investors such as Verve Ventures and Swisscom Ventures as backers.
Founded: 2013
HQ: Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
Team growth last 12 months: 60% to 91 employees
Total funding: $83.6m
Aerones
Aerones has designed a number of robots that can fix many of the most common faults that wind turbines develop, carrying out inspections, repairs and cleaning. The company says it’s serviced 8,000 turbines since launching a product in 2018, across 27 countries.
Its last raise was a $38.9m round picked up in December 2022, and it counts Future Positive Capital, Lightrock and Y Combinator as backers.
Founded: 2015
HQ: Riga, Latvia
Team growth last 12 months: 53% to 196 employees
Total funding: $55.2m
Medical Microinstruments
The company has developed a robotic arm which is used to assist with microsurgeries like reconstructive free flap and lymphatic surgery.
Medical Microinstruments raised a $75m Series B in July 2022 from investors including Fountain Healthcare Partners and Panakès Partners. It also picked up a €15m debt round from the European Investment Bank in October 2020.
Founded: 2015
HQ: Pisa, Italy
Team growth last 12 months: 44% to 203 employees
Total funding: $97m
Exotec
Exotec is building robots for warehouse management which can collect items and deliver them to human workers. It also sells warehouse management software.
The company raised a $335m Series D in January 2022 — which made it France’s first industrial unicorn — from investors including Iris, Bpifrance and 83North.
Founded: 2015
HQ: Croix, France
Team growth last 12 months: 42% to 721 employees
Total funding: $463m
Daedalean
One of Sifted’s Austrian and Swiss startups to watch in 2023, Daedalean is developing software for autonomous air mobility.
It last raised in January 2022, picking up a $58m round from investors including Redalpine, Amino Capital and Carthona Capital.
Founded: 2016
HQ: Zurich, Switzerland
Team growth last 12 months: 41% to 11 employees
Total funding: $71.4m
CloudNC
CloudNC is developing software that enables factories to autonomously manufacture parts.
It raised a $45m Series B in June 2022, from backers including Atomico, QVentures and Episode 1 Ventures.
Founded: 2015
HQ: London, UK
Team growth last 12 months: 41% to 134 employees
Total funding: $61.4m
Distalmotion
Distalmotion is a surgery robotics company. Its robot — called Dexter — can be used for procedures like upper and lower gastrointestinal and general surgery, gynaecology and urology.
It raised $150m in April this year from US private equity firm Revival Healthcare Capital, as it looks to get FDA approval and expand into the US.
Founded: 2011
HQ: Epalinges, Switzerland
Team growth last 12 months: 35% to 153 employees
Total funding: $240m
Note: Data pulled from Dealroom on December 10
