Sewts, a Munich-based robotics startup focused on transforming intricate manual labor into efficient automation, revealed on Wednesday that it has successfully raised €7 million in a Series A funding round.
Participating in the funding round were Emerald Technology Ventures, CNB Capital, EquityPitcher Ventures, and Nabtesco Technology Ventures. Additionally, existing investors Bayern Kapital, APEX Ventures, and HTGF continued their investment in this round.
Advertisement
Advancing the Realm of Highly Intelligent Robotics
As industries embrace robotics and AI to enhance efficiency, the utilization of these technologies with deformable materials like textiles presents unique challenges due to their delicate nature. Successfully navigating these challenges demands sensitive material handling, advanced sensor technology, adaptable AI algorithms, and seamless human-robot collaboration.
Overcoming these obstacles requires specialized research, hybrid approaches, and training initiatives for workers, which is particularly crucial for industries grappling with staffing shortages. sewts GmbH, established in 2019 by engineering students with the backing of an EXIST Business Startup Grant, seeks to drive transformative change in this arena.
Sewts is dedicated to automating processes involving deformable materials, harnessing the synergy of AI, robotics, and material simulation. Their groundbreaking control and image-processing software empowers robots to predict and manipulate the behavior of unstable materials in real-time with exceptional precision.
The company’s grand vision is to become a global automation partner for industries that work extensively with easily deformable materials. In 2022, sewts unveiled its inaugural product, VELUM. This robotic unit is tailored for industrial laundries, revolutionizing the process of feeding wrinkled towels into folding machines. With a capacity to process up to 700 items per hour—comparable to human speeds—VELUM not only addresses labor shortages but also significantly boosts efficiency within the textiles sector.
In tandem with VELUM’s launch, sewts is actively developing additional automation solutions for various stages of textile production. Through collaboration with the Otto Group, they have even prototyped an automated system for handling online shopping returns. With a bold vision for the future, the company’s founders aspire to leverage automated robotics to revolutionize clothing manufacturing on a global scale.
Funding Usage
Alexander Bley, Co-founder, commented, “This infusion of capital will propel us towards our international growth objectives. These encompass the expansion of VELUM systems into large-scale laundries worldwide and advancing our prototype for automating online shopping returns.”
Monika Steger, Managing Director of Bayern Kapital, affirmed, “With the introduction of VELUM, sewts has effectively brought an innovative product to market maturity and is actively devising promising automation solutions for the textile sector.”
Steger further noted, “As textiles manufacturing and recycling gravitate closer to the consumer market, sewts assumes a pivotal role in mitigating staffing challenges within the textile industry and contributing to global climate targets.”
