Defense startup Arx Robotics collects 31 million euros

Ukraine is one of the largest customers of the Munich startup. Now Arx Robotics wants to expand its production.

The Munich startup Arx Robotics was able to secure 31 million euros in a Series A round, led by the renowned early phase investor HV Capital. In addition, the round of Omnes Capital, NATO Innovation Fund and Project A. The company, which was only founded in 2022, took part in the shortest possible time as one of the leading providers of unmanned soil vehicles in Europe. The robot platforms of the defense tech startup are used in six European armies, including in Germany, Ukraine and in the UK. Ukraine in particular relies on the Munich technology-Arx Robotics, the largest western UGV fleet (Unmanned Ground Vehicle), which has been the largest western UGV fleet.

Arx Robotics was founded by Marc Wietfeld, Maximilian Wied and Stefan Roebel-all former Bundeswehr officers. At the center of the business model are AI-supported, unmanned soil vehicles (UGVs) with loads of up to 500 kilograms for military and civilian scenarios. The systems can take on risky tasks from mining to evacuation of wounded soldiers from combat areas.

Arx Robotics also developed the Mithra OS operating system, which enables retrofitting existing vehicle fleets with AI-based autonomy. In this way, Arx Robotics transforms conventional vehicles into intelligent, networked units that can act as “wingmen” in a team with manned vehicles or can carry out clarification missions independently. In addition to the military area, the startup aims at fields in disaster protection – for example in the case of floods or tsunamis, where the autonomous systems can secure critical infrastructure and support aid measures.

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Initially, the search for funding for ARX founder Marc Wietfeld proved to be a rocky path. In the summer of 2022, in conversation with the start-up scene, he reported on the significant reluctance of potential donors compared to his defense tech startup. Many financial institutions would completely avoid the defense and armaments area, explained the founder and CEO at the time. Already finding a bank where he could open an account for his company was not easy. Wietfeld therefore had to dig deep into his own pocket and invested several ten thousand euros of private assets to get his robotics startup on course.

At the latest since Chancellor Scholz heralded “Time turn”, with which a rethinking of German politics and thus also the investors related to defense tech and war investments in Europe, things have been better for ARX Robotics. In mid-2023, the young company collected around one million of the well-known venture capitator Planet A, a year later in the summer of 2024 the founders successfully completed a 9 million round.

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With the 31 million euros from the Series-A round, Arx Robotics would now like to expand its production capacities and further strengthen the AI-based defense skills. The startup will also continue to invest in leading European AI talents and expand Mithra OS as a backbone of autonomous defense, the company says.