Theker Secures $85M to Redefine Industrial Robotics

Most factory robots excel at repetitive, predictable motions, but the real-world manufacturing floor rarely offers such consistency. Co-founder Carla Gómez Cano argues that the industry's need for flexibility drives the company’s design, allowing its machines to pivot between tasks like clothing packaging and warehouse sorting. This generalist approach has attracted high-profile backing from Inditex, the parent company of Zara, signaling a clear path toward large-scale industrial deployment.

The investment round, led by American firm CRV with participation from Samsung and Aglaé Ventures, marks a significant milestone for the European robotics sector. Theker intends to bypass experimental innovation labs to integrate directly into active logistics and operations departments, prioritizing immediate deployment over long-term pilot testing. As the startup prepares to scale its workforce from dozens to over 100 employees by year-end, it is also expanding its physical footprint with new showrooms across Europe, the U.S., and Asia to demonstrate its technology to prospective industrial partners.