The small Innok Induros transport robot couples itself to the trailer. Then the journey begins across the company premises of the Ulm testing equipment manufacturer Zwick-Roell. The video shows how the autonomously driving robot safely corners and avoids obstacles. “In the past, these transports were driven by a forklift,” says Innok CFO Peter Mauritz in an interview with Gründerszene. While most manufacturers of mobile robots only offer devices that are used indoors such as factory buildings, the Regensburg tech company Innok manufactures robots for both indoor and outdoor use.
The technology from the Bavarian company drives through the salt mines of the raw materials group K+S for surveying work, irrigates cemeteries or carries out inspection drives at the energy supplier Eon. “We have developed a platform that enables it to be used in various areas,” explains CFO Mauritz. Innok intends to become one of the leading robot manufacturers for combined indoor and outdoor use in the coming years.
Swabian medium-sized investor bought in
Innok is not a classic startup. The company was founded in 2012 by the computer engineer Alwin Heerklotz, who still manages Innok today. With a small team, Heerklotz initially developed robots for many German universities. Weighing around 100 kilograms, the mobile robots are equipped with precision GPS, 3D laser scanners, cameras and even radar to help them find their way. The universities used the technologies for their own research, but also helped Innok with further development.
In 2021, the investment company Prolimity Capital Partners invested in the company. How much the medium-sized investor from Swabia paid is not publicly known. Prolimity co-founder Mauritz also joined Innok management in order to scale the business.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.de/gruenderszene/technologie/innok-roboter/
