Filics GmbH, which is developing automated load handlers, this week said it has closed a €13.5 million ($15.8 million U.S.) financing round. The Munich, Germany-based startup said it plans to use the funding to enhance its robotic platform and expand its product line.
“With the new financing round, we are taking the next big step in our growth strategy,” stated Gregor Kolls, co-founder and CEO of Filics. “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.”
The company‘s founders began developing its technology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in 2021. Early-stage support came from a broad network of industry experts and investors, including Dr. Klaus Dieter Rosenbach, the former chief technology officer of Jungheinrich AG, plus the founders of ProGlove.
Filics Unit includes flat robots to move Euro pallets
The logistics sector faces critical challenges, including space constraints, capacity bottlenecks, and a shortage of skilled workers, according to Filics. The company has specialized in flat transport robots capable of safely moving payloads weighing up to 1.2 tons, which it said covers all standard intralogistics loads.
The Filics Unit consists of two omnidirectional robots designed for handling Euro pallets. Unlike pallets in North America, Euro pallets offer a standardized and uniform interface for the autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).
This system navigates warehouses and drives underneath the pallets to move them, minimizing the space required for maneuvering, said Filics. The company added that its systems can drive under and through a variety of pallets and load carriers on the warehouse floor, enabling the transport of subsequent load carriers.’ ‘
They can achieve space savings up to 30% over the space required by lift trucks, it asserted. Filics said its technology is currently undergoing testing by companies such as Bosch, the DHL Group, and the Nagel Group, with initial industrial applications already under way.
Investors value space savings
Filics said its investment came from new backers such as Sandwater, Alven, F-LOG Ventures, and the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, as well as existing investors. The company said it will support its ambitious product development and internationalization strategies.
“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,” added Morten E. Iversen, partner at Sandwater. “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 from a genius neat hardware/software combo. We have been truly impressed by the team.”
Filics makes plans for truck loading
Looking ahead, Filics has ambitious plans. By the end of 2025, the company plans to make the Filics Unit available for floor-based pallet storage, which could deliver space savings of up to 66%.
Beyond that, Filics said it aims to further evolve its technology to enable fully autonomous truck loading in under five minutes in the medium term. The company also intends to prepare for market entry into other European markets beyond Germany in 2026, signaling its strategic push for a global presence.
“Our goal is to redefine pallet handling and transform the logistics industry with comprehensive automation solutions,” said Helmut Schmid, chief commercial officer at Filics. “The strong demand for our technology confirms that we have hit the nerve of the times with our solution.”