Robotics Roundup #17: May 2025
Sailing drones, autonomous shipping, and defense tech
Welcome back to Robotics Roundup, where we catalog the robotics industry’s most important VC deals. Investors continued to pour funding into defense tech in May, as well as autonomous maritime navigation and a countertop robotic chef.
The Deals
Quantum Systems raised €160M in funding led by Balderton Capital, with participation from fellow new investors Hensoldt, Airbus Defense and Space, Bullhound Capital, and LP&E AG. The Munich-based company builds AI-powered aerial intelligence systems for defense, emergency services, and industrial applications.
Mach Industries raised $100M in funding co-led by Khosla Ventures and Bedrock Capital, with participation from Sequoia Capital. The Huntington Beach, California company is building unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as a network of decentralized microfactories for the defense industry.
Orca AI raised a $72.5M Series B round led by Brighton Park Capital, with participation from Ankona Capital and Hyperlink Ventures. The London company builds autonomous shipping technology.
Saildrone raised $60M in funding led by the Export and Investment Fund of Denmark. The Bay Area company builds autonomous sailing drones for autonomous maritime security, ocean mapping, and ocean data gathering.
Vivodyne announced $40M in Series A funding led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from new investors Lingotto Investment Management, Helena Capital, and Fortius Ventures. The San Francisco company uses robotics and AI to test biopharmaceutical drugs on lab-grown human tissues, eliminating the need for animal testing.
Posha raised $8M in Series A funding led by Accel with participation from Xeed Ventures, Waterbridge Ventures, and others. The Silicon Valley company is creating a countertop cooking robot where users add ingredients and select from a list of recipes.
MX3D raised €7M in Series A funding led by EDF Pulse Ventures, with participation from ING Sustainable Investments. The Amsterdam-based company has developed a new kind of robotic metal 3D printing technology.
Intrepid Labs raised $7M in Seed funding led by AVANT BIO. The Toronto company is using robotics and AI to refine drug formulation and accelerate therapeutic development.
RoboForce raised an additional $5M on top of the $10M it raised in January. The Silicon Valley company is developing humanoid robots for use in challenging environments like manufacturing, mining, and outer space.
Milvus Robotics raised $4.5M in funding led by Türk Telekom Ventures, with participation from APY Ventures, Türkiye Development Fund, Maxis Ventures, and Inveo Ventures. The Ankara-based company is building robots for use in warehouse and logistics settings.
Speedbird Aero raised €3.5M led by Lince Capital, with participation from Explorer Investments, Cedrus Capital, and AcNext Capital. The São Paulo company is building logistics drones capable of transporting food, medicine, and other small packages.
TEKEVER raised an undisclosed amount of funding from existing investors including Ventura Capital, Baillie Gifford, the NATO Innovation Fund, Iberis Capital, and Crescent Cove. The Lisbon-based company builds autonomous aerial drones offering “surveillance-as-a-service” technology.
Do you have questions, feedback, or a funding round to announce? Get in touch at stateofrobotics@fprimecapital.com