Participated · Equity · Nov 2023

German-based Unchained Robotics automates industrial processes with a unified software platform and its MalocherBot turnkey robotics cell. Its LUNA OS is a standardized control system that integrates robots from various manufacturers, described as an operating system for factory robots and designed to be as easy to use as a smartphone. The company’s online platform lets customers search for, find, and integrate robots quickly without prior programming experience. MalocherBot is positioned as a flexible, no-specialist deployment option suitable for SMEs as well as large firms. More than 300 companies across Europe use the solution, including Vorwerk. The company is accelerating expansion into the U.S. and is using new capital to scale internationally and push toward a global robotics standard. Financially, Unchained Robotics has just closed an €8.5M Series A extension to support this growth. Unchained Robotics provides a plug-and-play automation platform that can automate common manual processes in logistics and metalworking within a few hours. Its MalocherBot product is already in use worldwide after a few weeks, enabled by a software platform and an online marketplace for searching and selecting automation. The platform supports integrations with over a dozen robotics manufacturers, aiming to give SMEs broad-based access to standard robotics. The company positions its technology as a low-barrier solution to compensate for skilled labor shortages in industry. Unchained Robotics plans to expand sales and services to meet growing demand and to broaden MalocherBot applications. The article identifies the company as a German startup and reports its total funding to date.

Participated · Series A · Nov 2023

Founded in 2015, Finland-based SpinDrive provides frictionless, oil-free active magnetic bearing (AMB) systems that levitate rotors to eliminate mechanical contact. The technology delivers energy-efficiency improvements of up to 50 % versus conventional bearings and can reduce maintenance costs by more than 80 %, offering maintenance-free operation for over 20 years. SpinDrive’s products serve compressors, pumps, turbines, blowers and other high-speed machinery used in industrial cooling, heat pumps, wastewater treatment and semiconductor manufacturing. The company integrates IoT-based condition monitoring directly into its bearings, removing the need for external sensors. SpinDrive is gaining traction with both European OEM partners and direct customers in the United States. Its forthcoming Magma X100 controller extends AMB capabilities to ultra-high-speed machinery under 100 kW, targeting new markets with a smaller, more affordable form factor. The new funding will accelerate U.S. market expansion and support the commercial launch of Magma X100.

Led · Seed · Feb 2023

traplinked develops permanent monitoring systems and networked traps to combat and monitor rats, mice, insects and other pests. The company uses intelligent sensor modules named Jerry and Tom that monitor and document the condition of trap boxes and provide real-time notifications. The Nuremberg-based startup was founded in 2019 by Tim Kirchhof. Bayern Kapital, Born2Grow and several business angels invested €2.3 million in traplinked. The firm positions its offering as "permanent monitoring systems" to enable continuous surveillance rather than manual checks. The investment was reported in the DealMonitor on February 22.

Led · Series A · Jun 2022

Mila provides on-demand, vetted, crowdsourced technical support and installation services through a network of trained technicians and its Mila Academy. Since 2016 it has expanded from Switzerland into Germany, Austria, France, and the UK, and maintains offices in Berlin and Zürich with a new London location. The company reports over 11,000 trained technicians and more than 40 enterprise/brand partners, and says it experienced over 300% growth in Germany in 2021. Mila continues to serve Swisscom and enterprise customers including Amazon, Otto, BOSCH, and Google. The company offers installation, configuration, and integration services and plans to introduce EV charging station installations in Germany and the UK in Q2. With the MATTER IoT standard release targeted for fall 2022, Mila positions itself to address connected-device interoperability challenges for global brands. Mila is a location-based mobile marketplace for tasks and products that lets people find, discover and buy services from people in their neighbourhood or earn extra cash by offering their own services. It operates on mobile web and web and is currently revamping its iOS and Android apps. Mila is a spin-off from CoreSystems, a Swiss mobile enterprise platform provider backed by SAP, and also has operations in Zurich and Berlin. The company has a global footprint and is concentrating on emerging markets, targeting cities such as Shanghai and Jakarta. Mila raised $3.22 million (€2.46 million) from private Swiss and German technology investors and will use the funding to expand in Indonesia and China. Named investors include Peter Zencke and Adrian Bult.

Led · Seed · May 2022

Fyrfeed, founded in 2019 and operating as fyrfeed GmbH in Berlin, offers an AI-powered platform that automates the creation of high-quality social media posts and blog articles. The product combines artificial intelligence with human-in-the-loop processes to deliver ready-to-publish social posts and blog content to B2B clients weekly. Fyrfeed aims to reduce the time and costs of content production by enabling companies to run organic marketing channels on autopilot with minimal effort. In May 2022 the company raised €2.0M in a seed round managed by Born2Grow and supported by IBB Ventures and primeCROWD. The startup plans to use the investment to further develop its AI solution and increase the degree of automation. Fyrfeed positions itself as an AI-supported marketing content provider that helps B2B firms cover ongoing content needs with just a few clicks.