THEKER raises record $85 million round, the largest Series A in European robotics, led by CRV with participation from LVMH and Cathay Innovationa

• Founded by Carla Gómez Cano and Jiaqiang Ye Zhu, THEKER develops AI-native general-purpose robots bringing physical artificial intelligence closer to large-scale industrial deployment

Paris, June 11, 2026 – THEKER, a Barcelona-based robotics and artificial intelligence company developing a new generation of AI-native general-purpose robots designed for industrial production environments, announces an $85 million funding round.

The largest Series A ever completed in European robotics

The round was co-led by CRV, with participation from Samsung, Cathay Innovation, LVMH, 20VC, Henkel, Korelya, and Sonae, as well as existing investors including Inditex, Carles Reina (ElevenLabs), Itnig (Factorial Founders), Kfund, Kibo Ventures, and Mission, among others.

This funding comes less than a year after THEKER completed the largest seed round in Spanish startup history, highlighting the speed at which the company has translated cutting-edge technological innovation into concrete industrial deployments.

Beyond the amount raised, this transaction carries major strategic significance. It marks one of CRV’s first investments in Spain, Samsung’s first investment in a Spanish company, and LVMH’s first equity stake in a startup within the Spanish ecosystem.

Founders’ statement

“We did not create THEKER to run experiments or produce proof-of-concepts. We built it to deploy robots capable of generating value from day one of operation and continuously improving over time. This funding allows us to accelerate our long-term ambition: making intelligent, adaptable robotics accessible at scale to address real-world industrial challenges globally.” Carla Gómez Cano, co-founder of THEKER

Strong international investor backing

The joint presence of Cathay Innovation and the LVMH group highlights the growing interest of leading French players in emerging European leaders in robotics and artificial intelligence.

THEKER is currently the only European robotics company to bring together in a single funding round benchmark investors from global venture capital, consumer technology, and the luxury industry, reflecting exceptional confidence in its vision, technology, and global transformative potential.

AI-native general-purpose robotics for industry

Founded by robotics and AI engineers Carla Gómez Cano and Jiaqiang Ye Zhu, THEKER develops a new generation of AI-native general-purpose robots designed for highly complex industrial environments.

Thanks to their ability to adapt in real time to production changes, product variety, irregular shapes, and operational unpredictability, these systems operate without manual reprogramming and deliver unprecedented industrial flexibility.

Unlike traditional robots, which are typically dedicated to specific tasks and require long and costly reconfiguration processes, THEKER’s solutions can be deployed within days, continuously learn from operations, and evolve autonomously in real production environments.

Already deployed with several industrial players across Europe, THEKER robots help improve operational productivity, reduce downtime, and address growing labor shortages in manufacturing, logistics, and retail sectors.

A structural shift in robotics and AI

THEKER’s rapid growth reflects a deeper transformation underway in robotics and artificial intelligence.

While breakthroughs in foundation AI models have enabled general-purpose robotics, few companies worldwide have successfully translated this potential into systems capable of operating reliably and autonomously at scale in real industrial environments.

By addressing this technological and operational challenge, THEKER has established itself as one of the reference players in this new generation of intelligent robotics, positioned at the intersection of advanced artificial intelligence and real-world industrial applications.

Investor perspective

“THEKER is tackling one of the most complex challenges in modern robotics: deploying general-purpose artificial intelligence in real production environments, where reliability, adaptability, and scalability are essential. Carla, Jiaqiang, and the entire team have built a remarkably deep technology platform while demonstrating strong commercial execution. This combination is extremely rare. We believe THEKER has all the ingredients to become one of the most influential robotics companies of its generation.” Reid Christian, General Partner at CRV

Use of proceeds

The company plans to use the funds to accelerate deployment of its solutions with large industrial groups, strengthen its presence in strategic markets, and further develop its proprietary AI-robotics technology platform.

THEKER will notably continue investing in its end-to-end technology stack, enabling its robots to be natively general-purpose, adaptable, and capable of evolving in complex industrial environments.

The company also intends to expand its teams in software, electronics, mechanical engineering, and deployment operations to support its growth.

This transaction further strengthens Barcelona’s positioning as one of Europe’s most dynamic hubs for artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced technologies.

About THEKER

Founded in 2022 by robotics and artificial intelligence engineers Jiaqiang Ye Zhu and Carla Gómez Cano, THEKER develops a new generation of AI-native general-purpose robots designed to operate in complex industrial environments.

Thanks to its proprietary full-stack technology platform, the company enables its robots to adapt in real time to operational variations without requiring reprogramming. THEKER solutions are already deployed in real production environments across Europe.

About CRV

CRV is one of the leading venture capital firms focused on early-stage technology companies. Since its founding in 1970, CRV has backed more than 750 startups, including DoorDash, Mercury, and Vercel, supporting founders at the most critical stages of their development.

Beyond financing, CRV provides entrepreneurs with more than five decades of experience supporting innovative companies from inception through IPO and beyond. This long-term partnership approach has made CRV one of the most established and respected venture capital firms in the industry.

About Cathay Innovation

Cathay Innovation is a global venture capital fund affiliated with Cathay Capital. Cathay Innovation invests in startups at the heart of the digital revolution across Europe, North America, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

Its global platform connects entrepreneurs, investors, and large corporations across continents to accelerate startup growth and transform industries with AI-driven solutions spanning consumer, fintech, digital health, and mobility/energy sectors.

Founded in Paris in 2015, Cathay Innovation now manages more than $2.5 billion in assets and operates in Paris, Berlin, Madrid, San Francisco, Mexico City, Shanghai, and Singapore.

The fund has invested in more than 120 startups including Chime, Pinduoduo (NASDAQ: PDD), Glovo, Wallbox (NYSE: WBX), Owkin, Getaround, Ledger, ZenBusiness, Alma, and Descartes Underwriting.

Source: Theker