468 Capital is leading Cartken's financing round, with participation from Incubate Fund, the deep tech and AI funds LDV Partners, and Vela Partners. Leading mobility companies such as Magna International, Mitsubishi Electric, Shell Ventures, and Volex are also investing.
Cartken relies on autonomous delivery robotsThe startup's technology combines artificial intelligence and computer vision to seamlessly operate the robots indoors and outdoors. The system enables multiple vehicle types to safely navigate around pedestrians and employees, as well as participate in delivery traffic with cars and other vehicles. With the new funding, Cartken plans to further improve this self-driving technology and deepen partnerships with major companies.
“This investment accelerates Cartken’s path to a future where self-driving technology is ubiquitous in most transportation applications,”
said Christian Bersch, co-founder and CEO of Cartken, and adds:
“Our mission is to make this new technology accessible to companies across all industries so they can automate their processes, improve productivity, and ensure the safety of their employees.”
Bernhard Janke and Bardo Droege, Partner at 468 Capital, comment on the financing:
"Cartken's approach to autonomous navigation systems will revolutionize industrial automation and last-mile delivery. We are excited to support a team that combines deep technical expertise with a clear vision for the future of autonomous unmanned vehicles for and from Europe. We believe Cartken's approach gives us a clear view of the future."
Since its launch, Cartken claims to have completed hundreds of thousands of deliveries, averaging 36,000 per month. The Munich-based startup supplies some of the largest companies in the OEM, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries in the US, Germany, Denmark, and Japan. Furthermore, the startup's technology is already fully integrated into delivery platforms such as Uber Eats and Grubhub. Recently, the Robotics startup started its operations in Tokyo and has entered into partnerships with Uber Eats and Mitsubishi Electric.
