Warehouse robot startup BotsAndUs raises £11m

Autonomous warehouse robot maker BotsAndUs has secured $13m (£10.6m) in a seed spherical led by Swiss enterprise funds agency Lakestar.

London-based BotsAndUs will use the capital to develop its robots that are made use of to measure, monitor and locate stock in a warehouse.

The startup’s robots use synthetic intelligence (AI) to build a electronic twin of a warehouse. That mapping info can then be applied by operators to them run logistics far more proficiently in the warehouse.

BotsAndUs is also eying worldwide expansion into new marketplaces this sort of as Germany, France, the Nordics, the US and Canada.

Christoph Schuh, lover, Lakestar stated: “More than 80% of warehouses have no automation at all. With warehouses predicted to grow by 50% by 2025 and labour shortages of around 30%, automation evidently retains the critical to making certain logistics operations are as optimised as probable.”

Founded in 2015, BotsAndUs functions with Menzies Aviation, an air cargo enterprise that is utilized by London Heathrow Airport.

BotsAndUs a short while ago entered a partnership with container logistics organization Maersk to investigate the application of its robots in 1 of its warehouses, to begin with to carry out automatic stock management.

“It’s an enjoyable time for tech in London, and robotics and AI is a single of our most impressive advancement sectors. This welcome financial commitment in BotsAndUs even further cements our position as a world hub for innovation and venture capital,” reported Rajesh Agrawal, deputy mayor, London for Small business.

The round noticed additional capital appear from buyers Maersk Development, Kindred Money, and Capnamic. It follows BotsAndUs’s $6m (£4.9m) investment decision in July 2020.

Venture funds organization Lakestar’s past backings involve the likes of Skype, Spotify, Facebook and Airbnb. It manages €1.2bn (£1bn) across a few early-phase cash and a expansion fund.