Barcelona’s Theker raises $21 million to scale real-time AI robotics

Barcelona-based startup Theker, known for its adaptive AI-driven robotics, has secured $21 million (€18 million) in seed funding to scale its technology. The round was led by Kibo Ventures, with backing from Inditex—parent company of Zara—and Kfund’s Leadwind fund.

Founded by engineers Jiaqiang Ye Zhu and Carla Gómez Cano, Theker announced that this marks the largest seed funding round in Spain’s history — and one of the most notable to date within Europe’s robotics sector.

All of the company’s initial investors — including JME, Itnig, Mission and s16vc — also joined the round, alongside a notable group of business angels from the tech and industrial space. These include Carles Reina (ElevenLabs), Verónica Pascual (Asti), Sergej Epp (Lakestar), Felipe Navío (Jobandtalent), and the investment syndicate Calafia.

Theker has developed proprietary technology that enables its robots to operate in complex, dynamic industrial environments without requiring reprogramming. The system is powered by an advanced vision and control platform based on deep learning, allowing for real-time adaptation and easy deployment.

According to the company, this flexibility makes its robots suitable for multiple industries and use cases — from logistics and retail to waste management — where traditional robotic solutions have often fallen short. The startup is already working with major players like Inditex, automating critical tasks in environments that were previously inaccessible to conventional robotics.

Theker’s business model follows a Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) approach, allowing companies to adopt intelligent automation without incurring high upfront costs. This subscription-based model helps lower the entry barrier for businesses seeking to digitize operations at scale.

The newly raised funds will enable Theker to scale production, expand its team, and increase its international presence, with a long-term goal of establishing Barcelona as a global hub for advanced robotics.

“We’re building an entirely new category in robotics,” said co-founder Carla Gómez Cano. “Our robots don’t just optimize — they adapt and learn in real time, making them deployable across multiple sectors without the need for customization. Automating the physical world should be as easy as launching an app.”

Kibo Ventures partner Jordi Vidal praised the startup’s rapid progress, stating, “In just a few months, they’ve taken their AI robotics technology from the lab to production lines — executing flawlessly. It’s the kind of transformative leap we look for.”

Miguel Arias, general partner at Kfund, added, “The opportunities here are endless. It’s exciting to see breakthrough innovation like this coming out of Spain and contributing to Europe’s tech sovereignty.”