Today German defencetech startup ARX announced that it has raised a €1.15 million Pre-Seed round led by Project A Ventures.
ARX builds and operates autonomous Single-to-Multi-Use GEREON ground robots for various applications.
Its goal is to help soldiers and civilian first responders make better decisions and take more effective action in life-threatening situations.
Armed forces face challenges in training their soldiers properly. The problem is inefficient, expensive training in unrealistic, static environments.
ARX robots can serve as smart moving targets for live fire exercises as well as a mission-critical asset in the field that detects and deceives opposing forces by operating as a decoy and alarm device.
The robotic vehicles can imitate gunshot sounds, create artificial fog, jam drone signals or create distractions with laser beams. It can also serve as a carrier platform to supply troops or for mine detection.
In the future, ARX AI-powered software will let its robots autonomously function in a swarm to support each other in case one system breaks down.
For commercial and civilian users such as civilian emergency services, ARX can access rough terrain and transport mobile relays in disaster regions to provide internet connectivity.
ARX can also increase perimeter security by having its robots automate patrol services for critical infrastructure or installations or serve as an early intruder detection and alert system for commercial ships.
The company’s small to medium-sized autonomous robots are based on a universal robotic platform that allows for flexible add-on and payload solutions for the UGV depending on different security and defence-related scenarios.
ARX is a spin-off from the GEREON research project at the German Armed Forces University in Munich. It was founded by Marc Wietfeld (CEO) and Stefan Röbel (COO).
Wietfeld is an intrapreneur and active officer in the German Army. He derived the idea for ARX from his experience as an infantry officer.
He also led research projects in robotics and military IoT at the Cyber Innovation Hub and the University of the German Armed Forces. Röbel is a former army officer turned tech executive who held senior management positions at companies like Grover, Asos, and Amazon.
Wietfeld shared:
“Autonomous robots will revolutionise efficiency, safety and 24/7 readiness in both civilian and military use cases.
With ARX, we provide an autonomous dual-use robotic platform that is cost-effective and capable of fulfilling multiple roles while saving people’s lives.
We have brought together a diverse team of military, research, and industry experts to develop software and hardware solutions that significantly enhance the capabilities of Western Allies.”
The first units of ARX are undergoing testing with defence companies and with the armed forces of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Estonia.
Project A leads the funding round to grow the team and the technology, as well as scaling production capabilities.
Lead image via ARX. Photo: Uncredited.
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