Theker just raised $85M to build the factory robot that doesn’t specialize in anything

Humanoids aren’t quite ready to replace factory workers, but the industry can’t wait. Faced with labor shortages, manufacturers have shown growing interest in startups that promise faster automation without the usual trade-offs.

That’s the bet behind Theker, an AI robotics startup that aims to go beyond robots trained for a single task. “If you always have to put the same cookie in the same box, that works perfectly, but most processes aren’t like that,” co-founder Carla Gómez Cano told TechCrunch.

Theker is designed for that messier reality. Unlike humanoid robots designed around a fixed form — think Boston Dynamics — Theker’s machines are built to be reconfigured. Their hands, arms, and overall form can be swapped out or resized depending on the task, whether that’s sorting packages, packing clothing, or handling bottles and cans in a warehouse.

That Inditex, Zara’s parent company, signed on as an early backer is a signal of where Theker’s ambitions start, not where they end. The company’s broader goal is to move beyond retail into heavier industrial settings like manufacturing, where the complexity and scale of manual tasks is even greater.

This generalist ambition has helped cement Theker’s status as one of Europe’s hot startups to watch — and raise capital accordingly. The Barcelona-based startup has just raised $85 million in what it’s calling “Europe’s largest ever robotics Series A.” (We haven’t found a larger one in our records, either.)

Domain Appraisals:

EAIFactory.com

• The “Theker” Imperative: Theker’s vision of a “factory robot that doesn’t specialize in anything” is the epitome of the smart factory. It’s about a central, intelligent system that orchestrates all production, from packaging clothing to handling bottles.
• Why this domain? EAIFactory.com is the most direct, descriptive, and memorable .com domain for the entire smart manufacturing industry. It combines the three most important keywords: “EAI” (Embodied AI), “Factory,” and the universal “.com” extension. For any company looking to launch a smart factory platform, an autonomous production line, or an industrial AI operating system, this domain offers instant brand recognition and SEO authority. It is the digital cornerstone for the future of intelligent manufacturing.

EAIIndustry.com

• The “Generalist” Ambition: Theker’s goal is to move beyond retail into heavier industrial settings like manufacturing. This requires a brand that speaks to the entire industrial landscape, not just a single factory.
• Why this domain? EAIIndustry.com is the perfect name for a company or platform that aims to be a leader in the broader industrial AI space. It positions itself as the authoritative voice for embodied AI applications across all sectors, from discrete manufacturing to process industries like chemicals and energy. This domain is ideal for a venture capital firm, an industry analyst, or a technology provider serving the entire industrial ecosystem.

The Tech & Ecosystem Extension:

• AIRobotCo.com: The Corporate Identity for the Next-Gen Robotics Firm. While EAIFactory.com is for the place, AIRobotCo.com is for the company that builds the robots. It’s a classic, professional, and globally recognizable name for a robotics startup. The “Co” suffix gives it a modern, agile feel, perfect for a company like Theker that is redefining what a robotics company can be. It’s the ideal digital headquarters for a business focused on R&D, production, and sales of intelligent robots.
• AIRobotLtd.com: The Established Authority in AI Robotics. Similar to the above, but with a different nuance. The “Ltd” suffix conveys a sense of stability, professionalism, and legal structure. AIRobotLtd.com is the perfect domain for a more established player in the field, or for a company that wants to project an image of being a serious, long-term industrial partner. It’s the digital equivalent of a legacy engineering firm for the AI age.

Less than a year after a record seed round, this Series A was led by American VC firm CRV and backed by a mix of traditional and strategic investors, including Samsung and Aglaé Ventures, the investment vehicle tied to LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault.

Gómez Cano said Samsung is not a client yet but that the two are in advanced discussions. Theker would welcome having the Korean company as a customer, supplier, and investor simultaneously — a trifecta that would give the startup both revenue and credibility in manufacturing at scale.

She also noted that she and co-founder Jiaqiang Ye Zhu “didn’t build Theker to run pilots,” so the team skips innovation departments entirely and goes straight to logistics or operations, where deals are real and timelines are shorter.

To demonstrate that the company can actually deliver on that, Theker has a showroom in central Barcelona and plans to open others as it expands across Europe, the U.S., and Asia. It will also grow its headcount across tech, deployment, and sales.

“We already received 15,000 job applications and have to filter like crazy,” Gómez Cano said. She estimated that the team could grow from dozens to up to 120 people by the end of the year, then caught herself: “I am saying that, but I also said that we’d raise $30 [million] or $40 million!”

That Theker managed to raise twice its target also reinforces the startup’s conviction in keeping its HQ in Barcelona, a growing robotics hub, and in Europe’s tech ecosystem more broadly. “It has never been a barrier to acceleration for us, so we are making the most of it,” Gómez Cano said.

Source:https://techcrunch.com/2026/06/11/theker-just-raised-85m-to-build-the-factory-robot-that-doesnt-specialize-in-anything/?utm_campaign=daily_am