German robotics company Sereact has raised €25 million Series A funding.
Founded by Ralf Gulde (CEO) and Marc Tuscher (CTO) in 2021, the Stuttgart-based company develops AI-powered robotics solutions that are deployed across various industries and use cases for major customers in the US and Europe.
Its AI software equips robots with general purpose visual and manipulation capabilities, enabling them to perceive their environment and devise intelligent strategies to perform a wide range of physical tasks.
The company was the first to combine zero-shot visual reasoning, which enables robots to perform tasks they have not been explicitly trained on, with natural language instruction via chat so that non-technical users can operate them on-site. This capability, called PickGPT, means that customers can deploy Sereact's solution within a single day and immediately start delivering cost savings.
From precise handling of individual objects to tackling complex logistics and manufacturing processes, the systems analyse and solve unfamiliar situations in real-time. This allows for anomaly detection, process optimisation, and the setting of new standards in flexibility and efficiency for autonomous systems.
"With our technology, robots act situationally rather than following rigidly programmed sequences. They adapt to dynamic tasks in real-time, enabling an unprecedented level of autonomy," said Ralf Gulde, CEO and co-founder of Sereact.
Sereact's customers include BMW, Daimler Truck, Bol and Active Ants, and the real-world deployment of its products creates a real-time data flywheel from which Sereact systems learn to continually improve far beyond systems trained primarily on synthetic data.
Creandum led the round, alongside participation from existing investors Point Nine and Air Street Capital, and prominent business angels, including former Formula 1 World Champion Nico Rosberg, Mehdi Ghissassi (ex Google DeepMind), Ott Kaukver (Skype), Lars Nordwall (ex neo4j), Torsten Reil and Niklas Köhler (both Helsing).
According to Johan Brenner, general partner at Creandum, most AI robotics companies are currently hardware-first.
"What sets Sereact apart is its software-first, foundational approach, which means it has the potential to become the brain of any robot that requires vision and autonomous capabilities.
The opportunities here are endless and it's great to see this kind of innovation coming from Europe."
The new funding will be used to expand R&D efforts to support additional robot hardware platforms, such as mobile robots and humanoids, as well as to develop solutions for more complex tasks beyond logistics and manufacturing. Sereact will also expand its US presence via partnerships and expanding its local team.
Lead image: Sereact. Photo: uncredited.
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