Munich-based robotics startup Filics, a pioneer in autonomous load carrier handling solutions, has successfully closed a €13.5 million financing round. The round attracted new investors including Sandwater, Alven, F-LOG Ventures, and the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund. They join existing backers Capnamic and 10x Founders, along with Bayern Kapital and business angels such as Andrei Danescu (founder and CEO of Dexory) and Helmut Schmid (CCO of Filics and former CEO of Agilox).
Driving Innovation and International Expansion
The funding will primarily support the further development of Filics’ robotics platform and the scaling of its product portfolio. Additionally, the company aims to expand internationally. By the end of 2025, Filics plans to introduce its innovative double-runner system—the Filics Unit—for use in floor block storage environments. Preparations for entering additional European markets are slated for 2026.
Cutting-Edge Technology Draws Global Investor Interest
Filics specializes in advanced flat transport robotics, developing autonomous systems capable of safely handling loads of up to 1.2 tons—covering the full range of standard intralogistics weights. These robots are designed to operate autonomously and can seamlessly maneuver beneath a wide variety of load carriers.
The company’s flagship product, the Filics Unit, is a pair of omnidirectional robots engineered specifically for Euro pallet handling. Navigating autonomously through warehouse environments, the system drives underneath pallets to transport them—drastically reducing the need for maneuvering space. This innovation delivers up to 30% space savings while addressing critical challenges in the logistics industry, including limited storage space, throughput constraints, and labor shortages.
The Filics Unit is also the first solution globally capable of fully driving under and through load carriers placed directly on the floor—enabling it to pick up and transport pallets positioned behind others with unparalleled efficiency.
From TUM Roots to Real-World Industry Impact — Backed by a Strong Network
Founded by a team originating from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), Filics has been developing its technology since 2021. The startup quickly gained the backing of an impressive group of early supporters, including Dr. Klaus Dieter Rosenbach (former CTO of Jungheinrich AG), Alexander Glasmacher (ELOKON), Arnold Vetter (Vetter Industries), Navid Thielemann and Christian Flick (ThielemannGroup), and the ProGlove founders through their investment vehicle, OMA Business Angels.
The Filics technology is already being piloted by industry leaders such as Bosch GmbH, the DHL Group, and the Nagel Group—with the first industrial implementations now underway.
Bold Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Filics aims to adapt the Filics Unit for use in floor block warehouses by the end of 2025, targeting space savings of up to 66%. In the medium term, the company plans to extend its technology to enable fully autonomous truck loading in under five minutes.
“Our goal is to redefine pallet handling and revolutionize logistics through comprehensive automation,” says Helmut Schmid, CCO at Filics. “The strong demand we’re seeing shows that our solution resonates deeply with the current needs of the industry.”
"With the new financing round, we are taking the next big step in our growth strategy. Thanks to the strong support, we can further optimize and scale the technology. The trust of our investors is both a tailwind and an obligation," declares Gregor Kolls, co-founder and CEO of Filics.
“Our business continues to evolve at a rapid pace and we are constantly exploring innovative ways to use space, personnel, and energy more efficiently, which ultimately benefits our employees and customers,” said Franziska Bossart, Head of the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund. “We are excited about Filics’ innovative approach to advancing the logistics industry by exploring significant space savings with more flexible and scalable automation.”
“The Filics technology offers not only substantial space efficiency but also a flexible, scalable path to automation of warehouses. For Sandwater, this represents a solution that can truly revolutionize how warehouses are run, requiring less building space, providing increased productivity and a smaller footprint form a genious neat hardware/software combo. We have been truly impressed by the team”, says Morten E. Iversen, partner at Sandwater.
Source: roboticstomorrow.com