Robotics Startup Theker Raises $85M for Versatile Factory Robots
Theker, an AI robotics startup in Barcelona, has raised 85 million dollars to build a new kind of factory robot. Unlike traditional robots that only do one job, Theker’s machines have parts that users can swap out. This allows them to perform many different tasks, like sorting packages or packing clothes. Major companies like Inditex and Samsung have supported the startup. Now, Theker plans to open new showrooms around the world and hire more staff to meet the growing demand in the manufacturing industry.
Theker is an AI robotics startup that wants to change the factory industry. Today, many manufacturers have a big problem. They cannot find enough workers, so they need robots. However, most robots only focus on a single task. Theker has decided to build a different type of robot. They want to create machines that can do many things.
Carla Gómez Cano and Jiaqiang Ye Zhu are the co-founders of Theker. Carla has explained how their robots work. Unlike Boston Dynamics, which makes fixed humanoid robots, Theker makes flexible machines. Users can swap out the hands and arms. They can also change the overall size of the robot. This means the robots can sort packages, pack clothing, or handle bottles.
Inditex, which owns Zara, has supported the startup from the beginning. However, Theker does not want to stop at retail. Their broader goal is to work in heavy industrial settings like manufacturing. Theker has just raised 85 million dollars. This is the largest Series A funding for a robotics startup in Europe. An American firm, CRV, led this investment. Samsung and Aglaé Ventures have also backed the company.
Currently, Samsung is not a client. However, they are in advanced discussions. Theker would love to have Samsung as a customer, supplier, and investor. This combination will give the startup more revenue and credibility. The founders did not build Theker to run slow tests. Instead, they go straight to logistics teams to make real deals.
Theker already has a showroom in central Barcelona to show off their robots. They plan to open more showrooms across Europe, the U.S., and Asia. The company will also hire more people. They have received 15,000 job applications. Carla has estimated that the team will reach 120 people by the end of the year. Finally, the company has decided to keep its headquarters in Barcelona, which is a growing robotics hub.
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What makes Theker's robots different from Boston Dynamics' robots?
Present Perfect
We use the present perfect to describe an action that happened in the past but has a result or relevance in the present.
“Theker has decided to build a different type of robot.”
What to know · B1
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Scenario: Explaining a company's recent achievements
- 01“The company has decided to change direction.”
- 02“They have received many job applications.”
- 03“We have supported the startup from the beginning.”
Register tip · informal
🔑Key Phrases
Useful for explaining a recent choice that affects the present.
The team has decided to launch the product early.
Describes modularity and flexibility in a product.
You can swap out the battery when it dies.
Shows how to express a superlative achievement in a specific category.
This is the best phone on the market.
A standard way to report numbers or metrics gathered up to the present.
We have received 50 emails today.
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Robotics Startup Theker Raises $85M for Versatile Factory Robots
Adapted from TechCrunch · Read the original. LinguaPress rewrites the facts as original graded-reader text for language learners.
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